Beach Community Next To Darien Among Nation's Best: 2019 Survey

NORWALK, CT — Five Connecticut communities are considered among the top 146 beach towns to live in, according to a new report from personal finance website WalletHub.

Westport, Milford, Norwalk, Stratford and East Haven were named to the list, the only ones from Connecticut to make the cut.

"Living by the beach is the ultimate dream for many Americans," writes WalletHub's Adam McCann. "After all, beachside communities often represent a relaxed and luxurious way of life."

To come up with its list, WalletHub looked at six main criteria for why a waterfront town might be good for living in: 1) Affordability, 2) Weather, 3) Safety, 4) Economy, 5) Education & Health and 6) Quality of Life. Click here to read the complete methodology.

Westport, which features Compo Beach, came in 44th on the list, the Connecticut town with the highest ranking.

While it might not be considered as the most affordable, that wasn't where Westport scored worst. Its lowest ratings were for quality of life and weather. The town's best rating was for education and health.

Milford was ranked 96th. The city features Silver Sands State Park and other beaches, and it ranked worst for quality of life and affordability, and best for safety.

Norwalk, which came in 106th, features Calf Pasture Beach and had its worst scores for affordability and quality of life, but best score also for safety.

Stratford was next at 112th. The town features Long Beach Park and scored poorly on economy and affordability, but best on safety.

Finally, East Haven came in 131st, with worst scores on economy and quality of life, and best on weather.

Overall, the nation's best beach town is Naples, FL, followed by Lahaina, HI; Newport Beach, CA; Carlsbad, CA; and Baton Rouge, FL.

Click here to read the full report on the WalletHub website.