Best PlacesDowntown Stamford, Stamford, CT Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Downtown Stamford, Stamford, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. The coast is close, and the measures below put a number on how close. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Downtown Stamford, Stamford ranks 1,371st of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on civic engagement by a wide margin, and state finances rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in Downtown Stamford, Stamford
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Downtown Stamford, Stamford's strengths and weaknesses
Where Downtown Stamford, Stamford ranks high
- Voter turnoutBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- Health outlookBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- Internet speedBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
Where Downtown Stamford, Stamford ranks low
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$1,858 a month, better than only 10% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than only 16% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than only 16% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 65 pleasant days a year, better than only 17% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Downtown Stamford, Stamford
A household needs to earn about $112,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Downtown Stamford, Stamford home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $94,608, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Downtown Stamford, Stamford's effective rate of 1.50%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Downtown Stamford, Stamford
Downtown Stamford, Stamford runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Downtown Stamford, Stamford.
Who works in Downtown Stamford, Stamford, and how
Work in Downtown Stamford, Stamford centers on health care & social and professional & technical. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 64%
- Work from home 19%
- Transit, walk, or bike 17%
Life in Downtown Stamford, Stamford
Downtown Stamford, Stamford has more restaurants and bars per resident than 83% of neighborhoods. The coast is about 4 minutes away. That concentrates in some parts of Downtown Stamford, Stamford and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Downtown Stamford, Stamford, month by month
Downtown Stamford, Stamford sees roughly 65 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 86 degrees. January highs sit near 41, with lows near 24. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, and August through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 32° | 24° |
| April | 62° | 50° | 40° |
| July | 86° | 76° | 66° |
| October | 68° | 57° | 47° |
Flying in and out of Downtown Stamford, Stamford
The nearest airport, Westchester County, is about 9 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Laguardia, about 26 miles away.
The best schools in and around Downtown Stamford, Stamford
Schools across Downtown Stamford, Stamford average a C+, better than 48% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Hart SchoolB+ · 51% proficient
- Davenport Ridge SchoolB− · 41% proficient
- Stillmeadow SchoolC · 35% proficient
Top middle schools
- Dolan SchoolC+ · 36% proficient
- Turn Of River SchoolC · 33% proficient
- Cloonan SchoolC · 31% proficient
Top high schools
- Stamford High SchoolB− · 42% proficient
- Westhill High SchoolB− · 41% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Downtown Stamford, Stamford school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Downtown Stamford, Stamford measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Downtown Stamford, Stamford against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who Downtown Stamford, Stamford suits
Families
Schools land around the 48th percentile and crime safety beats 61%.
Remote workers
Internet is fast and widely advertised and 19% already work from home.
Common questions about living in Downtown Stamford, Stamford
Is Downtown Stamford, Stamford a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Downtown Stamford, Stamford ranks 1,371st of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on civic engagement, population health, and big-city access, and lowest on state finances and childcare costs. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Downtown Stamford, Stamford expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $391,065. The overall cost of living runs about 17% above the national average. Set against a $94,608 median income, cost of living beats 56% of neighborhoods.
Is Downtown Stamford, Stamford safe?
Yes, Downtown Stamford, Stamford is safer than 61% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $319 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in Downtown Stamford, Stamford?
July highs average about 86 degrees, and January highs near 41 with lows near 24. That works out to about 65 pleasant days a year, more than 17% of neighborhoods.
Is Downtown Stamford, Stamford good for families?
Schools beat 48% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 61%, and childcare runs $1,858 a month.
Compare Downtown Stamford, Stamford with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Downtown Stamford, Stamford. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Downtown Stamford, Stamford represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Downtown Stamford, Stamford detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Downtown Stamford, Stamford: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Downtown Stamford, Stamford: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Downtown Stamford, Stamford: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Downtown Stamford, Stamford: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Downtown Stamford, Stamford detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.