Fairfield County · Town guide
Living in Fairfield, CT: Coastal Town, Three Train Stations
The balanced choice: beaches, a walkable downtown and three Metro-North stations, a little farther up the line.
Living in Fairfield: overview
Fairfield is the coastal college town of this series. The 2026 town profile counts 63,416 residents, a median age of 40 and a median household income of $172,4321. Eighty-three percent of its 22,537 homes are owner-occupied and 84 percent are detached.
Among adults 25 and older, 39 percent hold a bachelor's degree and 32 percent a graduate degree1. The town has 23,514 jobs and 9,198 active businesses and two universities, Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University, appear on its key-employer list.
It is about the size of Greenwich, but priced between Norwalk and Westport. If you are weighing those two, read Westport vs Fairfield. See also the cost of living in Connecticut.
Fairfield is worth a look if you
- You want beaches and a walkable town center
- You commute to New York a few days a week and want a choice of stations
- You work in Bridgeport, Stamford or New Haven
- You want a broader range of single-family homes than Westport offers
Strengths
Trade-offs
- Longer ride to Grand Central than the western Fairfield County towns2
- Single-family prices above Milford and Stratford
Commuting from Fairfield
Fairfield has three stations. On the weekday schedule we analyzed, the median morning ride was 83 minutes from Southport, 85 from Fairfield and 88 from Fairfield-Black Rock2. Bridgeport, the next stop east, is a short drive for some neighborhoods.
| Station | Scheduled ride | Median | Direct trains 5 to 9 AM | Of which 6 to 9 AM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 75 to 95 min | 85 min | 16 | 13 |
| Fairfield-Black Rock | 79 to 98 min | 88 min | 15 | 13 |
| Southport | 77 to 92 min | 83 min | 10 | 8 |
Source: Metro-North official schedule (MTA GTFS feed), weekday of Oct 13, 2026. Scheduled station to Grand Central times for direct trains leaving the station between 5:00 and 8:59 AM on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, from Metro-North's official schedule data. Not door to door. Trains needing a transfer are not counted. Schedules change: confirm with the MTA trip planner.
Fairfield station had 16 direct morning trains to Grand Central between 5:00 and 8:59 AM on our sample Tuesday, taking 75 to 95 minutes. Fairfield-Black Rock had 15, taking 79 to 98 minutes and Southport had 10, taking 77 to 92 minutes2. Thirteen trains each left Fairfield and Fairfield-Black Rock after 6:00.
Most Grand Central rides run 75 to 98 minutes, so Fairfield suits hybrid New York workers better than daily ones. Stamford is closer: 13 direct trains left Fairfield for Stamford in the same window, taking 25 to 35 minutes with a median of 312. Bridgeport and New Haven are closer still; read commuting within Connecticut and the New Haven guide.
Working residents average a 32-minute commute and 28 percent work from home1. The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority runs local buses. Read commute times to Grand Central, Metro-North parking and fares and commuting to NYC from Connecticut.
Station parking permits at Fairfield Center and Southport were waitlisted on January 21, 20265. Day parking at both costs $6.50 plus tax per weekday from 5 AM to 5 PM. It is free after 5 PM, on weekends and on major holidays6. At Fairfield-Black Rock, weekday parking is $8 a day and a six-month permit is $262.507.
| Metro-North stations in town | 3: Southport, Fairfield, Fairfield-Black Rock2 |
|---|
Every Connecticut station side by side: commute times to Grand Central.
Property taxes in Fairfield
Fairfield's FY2027 real estate mill rate fell to 19.19 from 28.39 after a revaluation8. Assessments rose, so judge the change by the bill on a specific home.
| Town | Real estate, FY2027 | Real estate, FY2026 | Motor vehicles, FY2027 | Illustration: tax per $100,000 of assessed value, FY2027* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 19.19 mills | 28.39 mills | 19.19 mills | $1,919 |
Source: CT Office of Policy and Management, Mill Rates (FY2014 to FY2027 data). FY2027 rates apply to the October 1, 2025 grand list. *An illustration, not a tax bill: each $100,000 of assessed value times the mill rate. Connecticut assesses homes at 70% of market value as of the town's last revaluation (Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 203 (assessment at 70% and revaluation)), so $100,000 of assessed value is roughly $142,857 of market value at that date. Special taxing districts can add to the rate and a recent sale price is not the town's assessment. Ask the assessor for the actual assessment.
Like Westport, Fairfield revalued for FY2027 and its rate fell from 28.39 to 19.198. When you look at a listing, check the post-revaluation assessment rather than last year's bill; the old bill reflects the old assessment and the old rate.
As an illustration, each $100,000 of assessed value comes to about $1,919 a year at the FY2027 rate. OPM also lists beach and park associations with their own levies, including Brooklawn Park, Tanaka Park and Winton Park9.
Read Connecticut property taxes explained, mill rate math and the costs and money hub.
How rates, revaluations and car taxes work: Connecticut property taxes explained.
Schools in Fairfield
| Fairfield Public Schools | 9,012 students; graduation rate 95% (state 89%); 72% met the math and 72% the English standard (state 46% and 50%)1 2026 town profile, from CSDE data. |
|---|---|
| Niche Best School Districts | A+; #306 nationally (2027 edition). The Connecticut rank is not shown on the current page4 Niche 2027 edition. The Connecticut rank could not be verified on the current page, so it is not shown. |
Ratings sites weight different things and change their methods each year. For official data on any Connecticut district (enrollment, test results, graduation rates and spending per pupil), use the state's10. Visit schools and speak with the district before you rely on a ranking.
Fairfield Public Schools enrolled 9,012 students. The graduation rate was 95 percent and 72 percent of tested students met both the math and English standards, against state figures of 89, 46 and 50 percent1.
Fairfield is the only town on this site with two comprehensive high schools of similar size: Fairfield Ludlowe on Unquowa Road11 and Fairfield Warde on Melville Avenue12. Three middle schools, Fairfield Woods, Roger Ludlowe and Tomlinson, feed them, among 18 schools in all13. Attendance zones decide which high school a street uses, so check the zone before you bid.
Read how to compare Connecticut school districts and top-rated school districts.
How to compare districts: researching Connecticut school districts.
Housing in Fairfield
Fairfield is a high-volume market: 572 single-family homes sold in 2025 at a $1,072,500 median, in a median of 28 days and 93 condos at $635,00014. Census figures give a median owner-occupied value of $780,500 and a median gross rent of $2,1851. That volume gives buyers choice. Compare [Westport](/where-to-live/westport/) at $2.3 million and [Milford](/where-to-live/milford/) at $539,000 and read [buying a home in Connecticut](/guides/buying-a-home-in-connecticut/).
Fairfield is a high-volume market: 572 single-family homes sold in 2025 at a $1,072,500 median, in a median of 28 days and 93 condos at $635,00014. Census figures give a median owner-occupied value of $780,500 and a median gross rent of $2,1851.
That volume gives buyers choice. Compare Westport at $2.3 million and Milford at $539,000 and read buying a home in Connecticut.
Before you buy: how buying a home in Connecticut works and the cost of moving calculator.
Things to do in Fairfield
The Fairfield Museum and History Center on Beach Road is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 to 416. Fairfield University’s Quick Center for the Arts hosts performing arts17. The Fairfield Theatre Company runs two rooms at 70 Sanford Street: StageOne holds 225 people and The Warehouse 64018.
Birdcraft Sanctuary was created by Mabel Osgood Wright, founder of the Connecticut Audubon Society19. Lake Mohegan offers freshwater swimming, sprinklers and hiking trails20.
Fairfield neighborhoods, station by station
Three stations give Fairfield three centers. Southport is a historic harbor village with a National Register historic district21. Fairfield Center and the beach area hold the downtown, the Old Post Road Historic District and the university side of town. Black Rock Turnpike and Stratfield, in the east near Fairfield-Black Rock station and the Bridgeport line, are often described as more affordable; that description is TO VERIFY.
Greenfield Hill, in the north, has a historic district and a village green21; its larger lots are TO VERIFY. The town adopted a new Plan of Conservation and Development on December 2, 2025, prioritizing preservation, transit, housing, commercial growth and resiliency22. Beach-area buyers should read flood zones and coastal risk.
Five town beaches
Fairfield has five town beaches: Jennings, Penfield, Sasco, Southport and South Pine Creek20. A parking sticker is required from Memorial Day Saturday to Labor Day. Jennings and Penfield accept a sticker or a daily gate pass; Sasco and Southport are resident-sticker only23.
For the resident rate, your car must be registered in Fairfield and taxed there, shown as tax town 051 on the registration23. That is a precise reason to register your car promptly; see the new to Connecticut checklist. In 2026 a resident “A” sticker for all beaches costs $25 ($10 for seniors 62 and older). Non-residents pay $250 for a Jennings and Penfield sticker. Daily gate fees are $40 on weekdays and $50 on weekends and holidays3.
Dining and shopping
The downtown around the Post Road and the station, Southport village and the Black Rock Turnpike corridor are the town’s three shopping areas; the Black Rock Turnpike description is TO VERIFY. We do not list individual businesses.
Healthcare next door
Two health systems sit in Bridgeport, next door. St. Vincent’s Medical Center is part of Hartford HealthCare and lists 520 licensed beds24. Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, reports 501 licensed beds across its Bridgeport and Milford campuses25. Carolton Chronic and Convalescent Hospital is one of Fairfield’s key employers1. Drive times are TO VERIFY.
Employers
The 2026 town profile lists Bigelow Tea, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, Carolton Chronic and Convalescent Hospital and RBC-Heim Bearings among Fairfield’s key employers1. Tea, universities and bearings make a varied local base. Read working in Connecticut.
Fairfield’s history in brief
Fairfield was settled in 1639; the name may mean “fair field” or come from Fairfield in Kent and the Native American name for the area was Uncoway26. It was one of the four earliest towns in the Connecticut Colony19.
During the Revolutionary War a British fleet anchored off Black Rock Harbor, landed and burned more than 200 structures19. Weston was set off in 1787, part of Bridgeport in 1821 and part of Westport in 183526, which makes Fairfield the mother town of its western neighbor.
Who Fairfield suits
Beach lovers and hybrid commuters get five beaches and three stations. Buyers priced out of Westport find similar schools at under half the single-family median. Downsizers have 93 condo sales in 202514, two hospital systems next door and the Bigelow Center for Senior Activities on Mona Terrace, free for residents and open weekdays 9 to 427; 11 percent of residents are 70 or older1. Oronoque Village in Stratford is a nearby active adult community28.
Compare Norwalk, the best towns for downsizing, 55-plus communities in Connecticut, downsizing in Connecticut and the best towns for remote work, then get matched with a licensed Connecticut agent who works in Fairfield.
Fairfield questions
How many train stations does Fairfield have?
Three: Southport, Fairfield and Fairfield-Black Rock2.
How long is the train from Fairfield to Grand Central?
On Metro-North's published schedule for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, direct morning trains took about 75 to 98 minutes, with medians of 83 minutes from Southport, 85 from Fairfield and 88 from Fairfield-Black Rock2.
Why did Fairfield's mill rate fall to 19.19?
A revaluation for FY2027 reset assessments and the rate fell from 28.398. Your bill depends on your new assessment.
Which Fairfield beaches are resident-only?
Sasco and Southport are resident-sticker only. Jennings and Penfield also sell daily passes23.
What do homes cost in Fairfield?
The 2025 SmartMLS medians were $1,072,500 for a single-family home and $635,000 for a condo14.
Does Fairfield have a senior center?
Yes. The Bigelow Center for Senior Activities is free for residents27.
Sources
Numbered notes on this page link to the source below. Figures marked To verify come from third-party sources and are still being checked.
- AdvanceCT and CTData, 2026 Town Profile: Fairfield↩
- Metro-North official schedule (MTA GTFS feed), weekday of Oct 13, 2026↩
- Town of Fairfield Community and Recreation, beach sticker and fees (2026)↩
- Niche 2027, Best School Districts in Connecticut↩
- Fairfield Police Department, Parking Department (2026)↩
- Fairfield Police Department, day parking (2026)↩
- CTrides (CT DOT), rail station parking (2026)↩
- CT Office of Policy and Management, Mill Rates (FY2014 to FY2027 data)↩
- CT Open Data, Mill Rates for FY 2014 to 2027 (OPM)↩
- CT State Department of Education, EdSight↩
- Fairfield Ludlowe High School↩
- Fairfield Warde High School↩
- Fairfield Public Schools, district information↩
- SmartMLS Local Market Update, December 2025 (Fairfield)↩
- Zillow Home Value Index, city level, all homes (August 31, 2026)↩
- Fairfield Museum and History Center, visit↩
- Fairfield University, Quick Center for the Arts↩
- Fairfield Theatre Company, venues (2026)↩
- Connecticut History (CT Humanities), Fairfield↩
- Fairfield Parks and Recreation, about the beaches↩
- Town of Fairfield, Historic District Commission handbook (2021)↩
- Town of Fairfield, Plan of Conservation and Development update↩
- Fairfield Parks and Recreation, beach stickers and fees↩
- Hartford HealthCare, St. Vincent's Medical Center↩
- Bridgeport Hospital, about↩
- CT Secretary of the State, Connecticut towns in the order of their establishment↩
- Town of Fairfield, Bigelow Center for Senior Activities↩
- 55places.com, Connecticut 55+ communities↩
Keep comparing
Other Connecticut towns to compare
-
Photo: John9474, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons N° 01 · Fairfield CountyStamford
A small city with the most direct morning trains to Grand Central of any Connecticut station, its own job base and condos as the entry point. -
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons N° 02 · Fairfield CountyGreenwich
The first stop in Connecticut: four Metro-North stations, the fastest scheduled ride to Grand Central in the state and one of the lowest FY2027 mill rates in the state. -
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons N° 03 · Fairfield CountyDarien
A small town with a top-rated school district, two stations about an hour from Grand Central and parking waitlists to plan around. -
Photo: JohnOwensCT, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons N° 04 · Fairfield CountyNorwalk
A coastal city with neighborhoods for most budgets, South Norwalk's harbor and restaurants and the junction of the main line and the Danbury Branch. -
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons N° 05 · Fairfield CountyWestport
The creative one: a theater, a summer music lawn and a town beach, with two Metro-North stations when you need the city. -
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons N° 07 · Fairfield CountyRidgefield
More land, an A+ school district and a quieter pace, if you can plan around a longer commute.