Westport is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Connecticut. With a population of 27,427 people and seven associated neighborhoods, Westport is the 41st largest community in Connecticut.
Westport home prices are not only among the most expensive in Connecticut, but Westport real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.
Of important note, Westport is also a town of artists. Westport has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Westport’s character.
Also of interest is that Westport has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 32.23% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
In addition, Westport is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums.
Westport is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Westport’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.
One of the nice things about Westport is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.
One downside of living in Westport, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 35.09 minutes every day commuting to work. However, local public transit is widely used. For those who would prefer to avoid driving entirely and leave their car at home, it may be an option to use the transit instead.
Although the majority of commuting trips in the town are by private automobile, Westport is somewhat unusual for a town of its size for having a substantial number of people who use public transportation. For a lot of people, the train helps to get to and from their jobs every morning, which benefits everyone in the Westport area by reducing both traffic and air pollution.
If knowledge is power, Westport is a pretty powerful place. 79.25% of the adults in Westport have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Westport in 2022 was $131,155, which is wealthy relative to Connecticut and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $524,620 for a family of four.
Westport is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Westport home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Westport residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Westport include Italian, Irish, English, German, and Polish.
Foreign born people are also an important part of Westport's cultural character, accounting for 15.54% of the town’s population.
The most common language spoken in Westport is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and German/Yiddish.