Weston

Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,354 at the 2020 census with the highest median household income in Connecticut. The town is served by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City, about 45 miles (72 km) to the southwest. Most of Devil's Den Preserve, a 1,746-acre (707 ha) nature reserve, is located in the town. A meteor exploded above the town on December 14, 1807. It is believed to be named after Weston-super-Mare, which was a small fishing village surrounded by countryside farmland, which many of the early British farming settlers originated from. In 1787, the area was formally incorporated as the Town of Weston. Between the Civil War and the Great Depression, the population dropped from approximately 1,000 to a low of 670, by 1930. Artists, writers, and actors from New York became attracted to the community in the 1930s and began settling in it. Construction of the Merritt Parkway, which arrived to the south of Weston in 1938, resulted in further population growth. In 2015, Connecticut Magazine rated Weston as the 9th best among towns in Connecticut with median home values over $325,000. In 2017, SafeWise ranked Weston the safest town in Connecticut and the 6th safest city in the U.S. The Saugatuck River begins to the north in Redding and flows to the west, ending in Long Island Sound.

History

In 1787, the area was formally incorporated as the Town of Weston. It is believed to be named after Weston-super-Mare, which was a small fishing village surrounded by countryside farmland, which many of the early British farming settlers originated from. A meteor exploded above the town on December 14, 1807. Six pieces, totaling 28 pounds (13 kg), were recovered and examined by scientists, who issued a report. Between the Civil War and the Great Depression, the town's population dropped from approximately 1,000 to a low of 670, by 1930. Artists, writers, and actors from New York became attracted to the community in the 1930s and began settling in it. Construction of the Merritt Parkway, which arrived to the south of Weston in 1938, resulted in further population growth. The town had nine manufacturers by 1850, but two decades later only the Bradley Edge Tool Company still thrived. That factory burned down in 1911.Unlike other nearby towns, Weston never had a railroad built through it, which stifled the development of non-agricultural businesses. The Town of Easton was split off from Weston in 1845, and is located to the north of the town of Weston and Easton. In the 17th century, Weston's first English settlers were mostly farmers living in Fairfield, Connecticut, the boundaries of which extended to Weston until the late 18th century. The Norfield Parish was created in the area now occupied by the towns of Weston, Easton, and Norfield.

Geography

The town has a total area of 20.7 square miles (54 km²), of which 19.8 square miles is land. The Saugatuck River flows through the town. The town is bordered by Westport to the south, Redding to the north, and Fairfield to the southeast. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town's population at 2,856. The population of the town was 2,788 in 2010. The city has a population of 1,857. The area's population was 1,744 in 2010, according to the U.N. Census. The largest city in the town is Westport, New York, at 1,938. The smallest city is Fairfield, New Jersey, at 0.6 square mile (1.2 km) The town's largest employer is Westfield, Connecticut, at 2.2 square miles. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States, at 4.2%. The town has the lowest crime rate in the state, at 3.4 per cent, and the lowest murder rate in New York City, at 5.3 per cent. It is located on the East River, which flows into the Long Island Sound, which runs through the center of the city. It was the site of the Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1864. It's the only town in New England to have been declared a state park in the 19th century.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 10,025 people, 3,289 households, and 2,811 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 95.75% White, 0.88% African American, 1.11% Native American,1.94% Asian,0.10% Pacific Islander, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.05% of the population. In 2019, The National Council for Home Safety and Security ranked Weston the 4th safest town in the state of Connecticut. As of 2017, the median income for a household in theTown was $219,868. Males had a median income of $168,472 versus $103,345 for females. The per capita income for the Town of Weston was $95,534. About 2.6% of residents were below the poverty line. The town is located on the Connecticut Turnpike, which runs from New Haven to Suffield. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in Connecticut, with a population of 10,000 as of the 2011 census. It has a population density of 506.0 people per square mile (195.7/km²) and a population growth rate of 1.7% from 2007 to 2012. The Town of Weston is located in the Connecticut River Valley, which flows into the New Haven River. It was the site of the first U.S. Civil War Battle of New Haven.

Government

Weston is a town in New England. The government consists of the Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting. The First Selectman is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the town. In the 2008 presidential election, Weston residents voted for Democrat Barack Obama with 62.21%. Republican John McCain received 37.33%. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton carried Weston over Republican Donald Trump. The Town of Westons net budget is about $74-million. About 77% of the towns budget is spent on the Weston Public Schools. Weston raises taxes on the basis of property value. With real estate assessed at 70% of market value, the mill rate evolved as follows. To make the mill rates comparable, the asterisked numbers are adjusted to account for the real estate revaluation of 2018-2019. The numbers for 2013-2014 and prior years are also adjusted for revaluations in 2014 and 2009, respectively. For the fiscal year of 2022-2023, the Town ofWeston's net budget will be about $ 74-million, with 77% going to the public school system. The mill rate for 2018-19 will be $1.25 per square foot. The number for 2019-2021 will be the same, with the number for 2020-21 being the same. For fiscal year 2021-2022, the town will raise taxes on property valued at $2.50 per square inch, with a total of $3.75 per square mile.

Town Center

Commercial development in Weston is limited to the Town Center area located at the intersection of Weston Road and Norfield Road. The Town Center contains a grocery store, community bank, liquor store, casual restaurant, dry cleaner, realtor, gas station, pharmacy and a post office. There are no plans for development in the rest of the city. The town has a population of about 2,000, according to the city's 2010 census. It is located in the eastern part of the town, near the border with New Jersey and New Hampshire. The city's population is about 3,000. It has an estimated population of 2,200, the town's 2010 Census figures show. The area's population has been growing at a rate of about 1.5 percent per year since the early 1990s, the city says. The population is expected to reach 3,500 by the end of the year, the mayor's office says.

On the National Register of Historic Places

Bradley Edge Tool Company Historic District Roughly, Lyons Plains Road, north and south of the junction with White Birch Road (added December 22, 1995) The Norfield Historic District is at the junction of Weston and Norfield Rds. northeast to Hedgerow Common (added August 31, 1991) The Kettle Creek Historic District roughly, Weston and Old Weston Roads, north of Broad Street (added Dec. 22,1995) The Old Norfield Road Historic District was added Dec. 23, 1995. The Kettle Creek Historic District is at the  junction of Old Weston Road and Old Norfield Rds. north of the intersection with Old Weston Rd. east of the Hedgerow Common. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 21, 1996. It is the only historic district in the town of Norfield, Ohio, which is home to a number of historic homes and businesses. The town also has a historic district for the historic site of the Norfield House, which dates back to the 18th century. It has been listed on the U.S. National  Register of Historical Parks and Reconstructions for the past 20 years. It was added to the N R P S  Register on December 22, 1995, and remained on the N R-S Register for the past 10 years since.

Education

There are four public schools in the Weston Public Schools district, all located on School Road. Some Weston High School seniors go on to attend selective colleges and universities. In June 2012, 24/7 Wall St. ranked Weston as the second wealthiest school district in the United States. In August 2015, Newsweek ranked Weston High school number 47 for America's Top High Schools in the country, public and private. The Connecticut State Department of Education has ranked the Weston schools in District Reference Group A, the nine most affluent and low-need-for-extra-assistance districts among the 162 school districts in Connecticut. In April 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked Weston second best high school in the state and 169th best highSchool in the nation out of 17,245 high schools ranked. The school opened in September 2005 as the town's newest school. Several pre-schools in town are run by various churches, including Emmanuel Nursery School and Norfield Nurseries School. The high school auditorium was also updated in 2008 and the school's science department and playing fields were added in 2012. The average SAT score at Weston High. School is 1784, the average ACT score is 26.6, and the average AP test score is 3.87. In addition, Weston High has a 97.2% college enrollment rate, a 100% graduation rate, an AP/IB/Dual Enrollment Composite of 73, a weighted SAT/ACT score composite of 69.4, a student retention rate of 91.7% and a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:156.

Parks

The landscape of Weston is characterized by open spaces. Almost one quarter of the town is permanently devoted to open space use. Devil's Den Preserve has a 20-mile trail system that connects with the extended 70-mile (110 km) Saugatuck Valley Trails System. Sixteen preserves of the Aspetuck Land Trust, for a total of 645 acres (2.61 km²), are scattered all around town. The town has a population of 3,000 people, with the majority of them living in the central part of the city, near the Saug atuck Reservoir. The city has a high school with more than 1,000 students, and a college with about 1,500 students, with a total enrollment of 4,000. The average age of a Weston resident is 28 years old, and the average height is 6 feet, 4 inches (183 cm). The town's average annual rainfall is 1,700 millimeters (62.5 inches), with the highest average of 1,800 millimeters (46.2 inches) per year. It has a low crime rate of 0.8 per cent (0.7 per cent), the lowest rate of any U.S. city, and one of the lowest rates of crime in the United States. It is the only town in New England with a population over 20,000, and it has the highest rate of obesity, at 1.9 per cent. It also has the lowest crime rate in the state, at 0.6 per cent; the rate of crime is the lowest in the country.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Weston, Fairfield County, Connecticut = 7.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 32. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Weston = 3.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 10,354 individuals with a median age of 39.9 age the population grows by 1.62% in Weston, Fairfield County, Connecticut population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 491.7 residents per square mile of area (189.8/km²). There are average 3.11 people per household in the 3,278 households with an average household income of $185,977 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.40% of the available work force and has dropped -3.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 28.12%. The number of physicians in Weston per 100,000 population = 301.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Weston = 49 inches and the annual snowfall = 14.3 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 118. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 206. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 20 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Weston, Fairfield County, Connecticut which are owned by the occupant = 85.73%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 41 years with median home cost = $754,180 and home appreciation of -9.03%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.56 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $10,168 per student. There are 14.2 students for each teacher in the school, 293 students for each Librarian and 242 students for each Counselor. 4.52% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 40.68% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 33.83% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).