Stratford, particularly in coastal areas such as Lordship, is quite susceptible to sea level rise. It's a shame that the author of this article omitted that point.
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I lived in Stratford for one year (1955/56) as an exchange student, and graduated in Stratford high school. I'm always affectionated to the city, so it was a very pleasant surprise to read this article with all the news and information. some of those I was aware of (like the burning of the shakespeare theatre) and some not. A curious thingh I discovered thata house prices in Stratford are about half (or less) of those in Milano. A very friendly thought to all of stratford people
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There are 355 homes currently for sale in Stratford. The high mill rate of 39.97 (per $1,000) is the reason people have been flocking.
I am a native and longtime resident of the CT Shoreline. Is the CT Shoreline beautiful, quaint, friendly, charming, yes, absolutely!
Many of is have flocked due to the high property taxes. 39.97 x $550,000 = $21,984, which means an extra $1,832 added to your mortgage every month.
If you are fortunate enough to own your home outright, you still have to come up with that $21,984 annual. And...the mill rate keeps rising.
The real estate croonies in Stratford have friends at NYT willing to misrepresent the facts in hopes of luring New Yorkers, who have been paying rent, and who aren't focused on the annual taxes and much it adds to your monthly mortgage.
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@Gus - The tax you pay is based on 70% of market valuation. So if you are paying tax on $550K, then the market value of your house must be $785K. That is very high for Stratford. If the market value of your house is actually $550K, then your tax is $15,388.
These taxes are not great, but they are competitive with Westchester County and northern New Jersey. You really have to look at the total package. You can buy a nice house in Stratford for $400K that would cost $800K in Westchester or northern NJ, and your total payments will be lower.
Want to move to Florida? That's a different story....
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Those of from Connecticut will tell you real story.
The mill rate in Stratford is 39.97. That translates into a $21,984 annual property tax bill for the $550,000 house the couple bought.
Stratford has one of the highest tax rates in CT (outside of the cities).
It appears the realtors have friends at NYT willing to paint Stratford as a deal, which it is far from, to help them sell houses.
Stratford also ranks #70 in the list of safest towns/cities in Connecticut--hardly a selling point.
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Stratford is almost entirely built on toxic waste from the former Raybestos Brake Linings and Avco Tank Engine plants. While I was growing up there, it was the most polluted town in CT. And how did you manage to omit the town's greatest feature by far? (Two Roads Brewery). C'mon Real Estate.
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As a 1974 graduate of Stratford High School, and a past employee of AVCO Lycoming, where we built the engines for the Army's main battle tank, Stratford has always been a nice place to live. The Shakespeare Theater, just burned down, but I remember going there for stage performances. Many don't know this but the first manned flight didn't happen in North Carolina, but in Stratford by Gustove Whitehead, where the airport sits now.
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Sorry, that library is NOT "Romanesque." It is "'classic Romanesque" which means late-19th century American Romanesque REVIVAL.
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This article sheds a positive light on a somewhat overlooked, but affordable, town at the fringe of FF County. Seems like Stratford is a great place for a starter home in the area.
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Stratford has long been the hidden treasure of Fairfield County not just because of its affordability and wealth of amenities, but because of the strong community spirit and friendliness of town residents. On any given weekend, the community comes together in a breadth of events. The town and its residents maintain the beaches to keep them beautiful and pristine and they are remarkably uncrowded even on summer holidays. Neighborhoods have a notable diversity not seen in many other Fairfield county towns. There is a real sense of neighborhood throughout the town and people wave and converse with each other. The restaurants offer a wide range of cuisines reflecting the town’s ethnic diversity. Local businesses add to the color and texture of the town with uncommon and unique offerings and contribute to the community in many ways. There is even a Facebook group specifically for celebrating everything positive happening in town. As a 10 year resident and Stratford business owner, I’ve watched Stratford emerge and realize it’s potential. If you are also looking for a new town to call your home for you, your family or your business, Stratford is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.
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We are a young(-ish) family who moved here two years ago. After searching in vain for a halfway decent house in our price range in some of the wealthier surrounding towns, this felt like a find--and it still does. The town has a real sense of community--and that's with the diverse population mentioned in the article. At the local Stop 'n' Shop, people who look very different from one another stop to chat--and do so with the employees working the checkout, too. There is an active cultural scene, a range of businesses, and two very nice beaches--as well as a beautiful historic downtown neighborhood that roots you in colonial Connecticut history.
When we moved in, our neighbors were--and continue to be--wonderful people.
We feel lucky to have found a home here.
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@Opinionated Pedant
Connecticut has always been a friendly, inviting state. Glad you are happy there.
The property taxes are outrageous!
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My husband and I bought our home in Paradise Green in 1993, raised our 3 children here, and have never regretted it. We have the best neighborhood any family could hope for, full of kids and wonderful neighbors who help each other, and socialize frequently. Our children attended St. James School, which attracts families from all over Stratford, as well as area towns. Snow shoeing at Roosevelt Forest in winter, spending summer days at Short Beach, Russian Beach and Long Beach in the summer, summer concerts at the Paradise Green Gazebo, great waterfront restaurants, a town rich in history, close proximity by train to NYC, I can't imagine living anywhere else! Love, love, love this town!
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What do property taxes of 11-14k per property provide to the town? Do they pay for the schools? Libraries, museums? Public services? That's quite a lot of money for a small-ish house. Does that not tend to discourage ownership? Where does that amount of money go?
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@GWPDA
In the Northeast, your property taxes are primarily for schools. Unlike in Arizona, teachers earn a good living, and are therefore of high quality.
Some of the money goes to the County for services it provides.
You are paying for schools, library, police, fire, local roads, parks, snow plowing etc.
Prices and taxes may look high, but Northeast US salaries are generally high. Obviously, if no one could pay them, they would have to drop.
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@GWPDA The 11-14k is for a house valued at $500k. The $550k house at the beginning of the article was 2400 square feet. That tax rate isn't out of line in the urban/suburban northeast, and I certainly wouldn't classify 2400 sq ft as small-ish.
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@GWPDA There is no county government in CT and there is no unincorporated land; when you cross a town border, you enter another town (even our cities are legally called "towns" and are coterminous). Unlike just about every other state, we only have town property taxes and state taxes, which get a bad reputation for being high, but we have one less level of taxation compared with almost everywhere else in the country. Our $11-14k funds schools, our own police department and fire department, town recreation department and resident services, sewer, trash removal, plowing, road maintenance, and just about any other municipal need. The costs of these services is mostly the responsibility of respective towns, but there is some distribution of state-level tax money to offset some of the burdens on local residents. Some of the smaller towns in CT have regional school districts and/or pool other municipal services as there ends up being a bit of administrative redundancy when there is no county-level municipal government. On the flip side, the autonomy often gives each of the 169 towns unique identities and characteristics that appeal to a variety of residents' interests and needs. Our town is 381 years old and has charm and a long history including a Founder Father/signer of Constitution and we honor the memory of one of the Sandy Hook victims, a young schoolteacher named Victoria Soto.
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From the 2010 census (the numbers are not much higher today):
1. The median income for a household in the town was $53,494.
2. The per capita income for the town was $26,501.
From paragraph 13: "As for property taxes, the annual bill.....in the northern part of town might be $11,000 to $14,000, compared with $30,000-plus for a waterfront home."
And (according the the article) Stratford is the most "affordable" town in Fairfield County.
Conclusion: Fairfield County is ground zero for the income inequality crisis in America.
Add high crime and daily traffic jams to the high taxes....and Stratford becomes a very undesirable place to live.
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@John
The article completely distorts the taxes. The mill rate in Stratford is 39.97 which translates is $21,984 annual property tax bill for the $550,000.
The 11,000 to 14,000 is completely false.
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@Gus Not correct. Keep in mind that the property tax is calculated on the "assessed" value of the house, not on the market value. The assessed value is 70% of the estimated market value. So a $550,000 house is "assessed" at $385,000. Calculate the 39.97 mills on that and you get to the much lower figures.
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@John
Hmmm...high crime? Stratford is pretty chill in regards to crime from my experience. It’s a walkable, safe community.
it is actually a nice town I pass by sometimes. Its not too bad of a commute just hop on the train (you can easily get a seat at this stop) and about 1 hour alter you arrive at GCT. Wouldn't want to do it daily but its accessible enough.
6
I remember the American Shakespeare Theater very well. I first visited in the mid-1960s when my elementary school took us there to see a play (my aunt, chaperoning because Mom worked, fell asleep), and again in the mid-1970s. The great lawn rolled all the way down to the Sound, or so I remember.
When I returned a couple of decades ago, houses and a marina had taken over the waterfront. The theater was a sad empty shell, and Stratford wasn't looking too good either.
Glad to hear it's getting back on its feet.
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I’ve lived in Stratford my entire 38 years. We’ve evolved over those years as many towns. Never have I thought we “weren’t looking good”. Stratford has always and will always be a beautiful New England town.
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Of course, Robin. But as you can tell from my comment, I was comparing the Stratford of my long-ago childhood with the Stratford of a couple of decades ago. One notices things from afar. That doesn't mean that it's not your home and you don't love it.
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@B.
I remember seeing Macbeth at the American Shakespeare Theater in the late 70's. The performance was top notch and the ride to Conn. from the Bronx, was quite cool.
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