Brookfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, situated within the southern foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. The population was 17,528 at the 2020 census. The town is located 55 mi northeast of New York City, making it part of the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA combined statistical area. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. In July 2013, Money magazine ranked Brookfield the 26th-best place to live in the United States, and the best place to live in Connecticut. Colonists settled in what is now known as Brookfield in 1710, led by John Muirwood and other colonial founders including Hawley, Peck and Merwin. They bartered for the land from the Wyantenuck and the Potatuck Nations who were ruled under the Sachems Waramaug and Pocono. Sachem Pocono's village was in an enormous palisade along the Still River. Colonists first established the area as the Parish of Newbury, incorporating parts of neighboring Newtown and Danbury. The parish later was renamed and incorporated as the town of Brookfield in 1788, named for Rev. Thomas Brooks, the first minister of the parish's Congregational church.

History

Early people who lived in Brookfield were subsistence farmers, gatherers, and hunters. The main food sources were corn, beans, squash and wild foods found in the rocky, heavily forested foothills of the Berkshire Mountains of Brookfield and New Milford. Such wild foods that were harvested were white oak acorns, American chestnuts, shag bark hickory nuts, may apples, beach nuts and Solomon's seal. The hunted animals that were taken from the forest and rivers were deer, passenger pigeon, turkey, bass, trout, crawfish, squirrel, rabbit and others. In the 18th century the community was called "Newbury", a name that came from the three towns from which its land was taken—New Milford, Newtown, and Danbury. As traveling to surrounding churches was difficult in winter, in 1752 the General Assembly granted the community the right to worship in area homes from September through March. In 1754, the General Assembly granted permission for the Parish of Newbury to build its own meeting house and recruit its own minister. On September 28, 1757, the first Congregational Church building was dedicated. The Reverend Thomas Brooks was ordained as the first settled minister. When incorporated in 1778, the town's name was changed to Brookfield in honor of Brooks, who was still the minister. Along the Still River, mills were in operation as early as 1732 in an area that became known as the Iron Works District. Brookfield was a thriving town with iron furnaces, grist mills, sawmills, comb shops, carding and cotton mills, a paper mill, a knife factory, hat factories, stage-coach shops, lime kilns, harness shops and other plants in operation. The grist mill still stands, as the Brookfield Craft Center. The Iron Works Aqueduct Company, formed in 1837 to supply water from mountain springs to the Iron Works District, still supplies water as the Brookfield Water Company. Before 1912, the town had two train stations: one in the Iron Works District near the present Brookfield Market and a second, Junction Station, near the corner of Junction Road and Stony Hill Road. The Danbury & Bethel Gas and Electric Company brought electricity to Brookfield in 1915. The .475 Wildey Magnum gun, later made famous in the 1985 Charles Bronson movie Death Wish 3, was developed by Wildey J. Moore in Brookfield in the early 1970s (the factory has since moved to Warren, Connecticut). In the early 1970s, the town was home to the headquarters of Lego USA. Throughout the 1970s and late 20th century, Brookfield saw a massive influx in its population. This is attributed to New Yorkers who began relocating from the city to the suburbs. This created rapid real estate development in Brookfield, and turned Brookfield into a popular commuter town for those who work in and around New York City. The top professions of residents today are in the fields of professional, scientific, and technical services, health care, and finance and insurance. As of 2022, 88.7% of residents in the workforce hold white-collar jobs, and about 20% work remotely full-time.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.4 sqmi, of which 19.8 sqmi is land and 0.6 mi2, or 2.94%, is water. It borders Bethel to the south, Newtown to the southeast, Danbury to the southwest, New Fairfield to the west, New Milford to the northwest, and Bridgewater to the northeast. Brookfield is located between the two largest lakes in Connecticut. Candlewood Lake (the largest) spans the west side of the town, while Lake Lillinonah spans the entire east side. The Still River also runs directly through the town, flowing directionally from south to north.

Neighborhoods

The town's largest neighborhoods include: Other named minor neighborhoods and geographic locations in the town are:

Climate

Brookfield has a humid continental climate, similar to that of New York City, with mild to warm humid summers and cold to very cold winters. The highest recorded temperature was 103 F in July 1966, while the lowest recorded temperature was -15 F in 1968. Snowfall is generally frequent in winter while average precipitation is most common in September.

Economy

Companies in Brookfield include:

Demographics

The 2020 US Census counted a total population of 17,528. The total number of households in Brookfield was recorded at 6,209 with an average of 2.73 persons per household. The population density was recorded at 861.9 /mi2. According to the 2020 Census, the population of Brookfield was 86.4% White, 4.2% Asian, 3.1% Black or African American, and 0.2% Pacific Islander. Individuals from two or more races made up 4.5%. In addition, Latinos of any race made up 6.5% of Brookfield's population. About 28.5% of Brookfield residents were younger than age 18 as of 2020; higher than the U.S. average of 24%. 15.1% of Brookfield residents were born outside of the United States. As of the census of 2000, there were 15,664 people, 5,572 households, and 4,368 families residing in the town. The population density was 791.1 PD/sqmi. There were 5,781 housing units at an average density of 292.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.29% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 2.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 5,573 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.18. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males, slightly under the US average. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males. In 2022, the median income for a household in the town was $132,950, and the median income for a family was $172,383. The per capita income for the town was $63,411. About 1.2% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Elected bodies in the town government are a three-member Board of Selectmen, a seven-member Board of Education, a six-member Board of Finance, a five-member Planning and Zoning Commission, three-member Board of Assessment Appeals, and a 100-member, nonpartisan Representative Town Meeting. The town has several elective offices as well: the town clerk, probate judge, registrar of voters, tax collector and treasurer. The Board of Finance approves financial measures, including the town budget; the Board of Education controls the town's public schools; the Representative Town Meeting is the main legislative body of the town. The three selectmen are elected on a town-wide basis, although each person can only vote for two members. This assures that there will almost always be one Democrat and two Republicans or two Democrats and one Republican. Many of the town committees have equal representation between Democrats and Republicans, regardless of the vote breakdown, since each individual can only vote for half as many seats as are available. At the state level, Brookfield is in the 107th House district, currently represented by State Rep. Martin Foncello (R). Brookfield is part of the 30th and 32nd Senate districts, currently represented by State Sen. Stephen Harding (R) of Brookfield, and State Sen. Eric Berthel (R) of Watertown. At the federal level, Brookfield is part of the 5th congressional district, which is represented by Rep. Jahana Hayes (D). In the 2020 Presidential Election, Joe Biden (D) received the majority of votes cast by Brookfield residents. This was the first majority vote in Brookfield for a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon B. Johnson's win in 1964. There are more registered Republicans than Democrats in the town, though a plurality of registered voters are unaffiliated with either party.

Taxes

As of 2022, the mill rate in Brookfield is 25.88.

Education

Public schools

In 2021, construction began on the new Candlewood Lake Elementary School at a construction cost of $78.1 million. The school is located on the grounds of the former Huckleberry Hill School, and replaced both Huckleberry and Center School (Pre-K–5). The school opened in September 2023, in time for the 2023–24 school year.

Private schools

The Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies is a magnet school in Danbury, Connecticut, that students (Grades K–5) from Brookfield are accepted into. Students to this school are also accepted from Bethel, Redding, Ridgefield, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, and other regional communities. Henry Abbott Technical High School is a public technical high school for students grades 9–12, being located in Danbury but also accepting students from other regional communities. Many residents of Brookfield attend private schools in the Greater Danbury area, including Canterbury School (9–12), Immaculate High School (9–12) and Wooster School (Pre-K–12). The Brookfield Craft Center is a specialized, non-degree school which teaches the skills of craftsmanship and offers courses and workshops to the general public. It is largely housed in an old historic mill house, on the Still River.

Downtown redevelopment project

For years, despite being a major economic center for retail in Fairfield County, Brookfield had lacked a walkable downtown area. Most of the large economic activity was centered on the southern portion of Federal Road near Danbury. In 2016, construction began on a project known as "Brookfield Village", which will create a downtown district consisting of sidewalks, a pocket park, street lamps, and parallel parking. Dozens of retail storefronts and residential apartment buildings (more than 150 units) are also being developed in this area, which has gained attention from retailers and will promote further development in the area. In conjunction with other retail developments on Federal Road and with the completion of Phase I of the newly revitalized district, many new restaurants, stores and boutiques have recently opened in the Town Center District.

Community and points of interest

Arts and culture

Lakes

Parks and beaches

Private membership/golf clubs

Recreation

Scouting

Brookfield has a long history with Scouting and maintains several active scout units, including three Scouts BSA troops, Girl Scouts and a Cub Scout pack. These are as follows:

Annual events

Rankings

Known as an affluent Fairfield County suburb, Brookfield has regularly placed high in various rankings. Brookfield was selected as the best small town in Connecticut by Money magazine in 2013. It was selected as the 26th best town to live in nationwide by Money.com in 2013. In 2017, MarketWatch ranked the Greater Danbury area as the 10th most expensive place to raise a family in the United States. Brookfield Public Schools are frequently ranked as one of the best school districts in Connecticut. Brookfield is also frequently ranked as one of the safest towns in Connecticut, due to its extremely low crime rates. In 2015, Connecticut Magazine rated Brookfield as one of the best among towns in Connecticut with median home values over $325,000. The rating considers education, crime, economy, community engagement, and culture/leisure.

Notable people

Partially due to Brookfield's close proximity to New York City, Brookfield has seen many notable residents ranging from famous golfer Gene Sarazen to Connecticut's 87th governor Jodi Rell. Many finance and business executives also reside in Brookfield, due to the centralization of investment firms and hedge funds in Fairfield County, as well as many Fortune 500 companies.

In popular culture

Transportation

Highways

Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 7 are the main highways in Brookfield. From the South, US 7 and US 202 jointly exit Interstate 84 at Exit 7 near Danbury. To the South, US 7 connects to the Merritt Parkway and Interstate 95 in Norwalk. US 202 then splits from US 7 at Exit 11, and runs parallel north through town before reconnecting with US 7 near the New Milford border. For many years, US 7 and US 202 ran concurrently through Brookfield but, after decades of discussion and planning, the US 7 Bypass officially opened in November 2009. The Governor of Connecticut at the time was Jodi Rell (R), a Brookfield resident. Connecticut Route 133 connects Brookfield to its eastern neighbor Bridgewater over the iconic Southville Bridge, which spans the Housatonic River. Connecticut Route 25 also connects Brookfield with Newtown and its Hawleyville neighborhood to the southeast, passing by Interstate 84 and terminating at US 6. Interstate 84 passes through the southern tip of Brookfield, but is most directly accessible through Exit 9 in Hawleyville. Brookfield is located along U.S. Bicycle Route 7, which runs from Norwalk, Connecticut, to the border between Vermont and Quebec.

Buses

The town is part of the "4 Route", "7 Route" and "New Milford Loop", which are operated by Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART). A park and ride is located at 67 White Turkey Road Ext., and offers connections to nearby bus and train stations as well as nearby airports. HART operates a direct shuttle for commuters between the park and ride and Brewster station from 5 AM to 10 PM on weekdays.

Railroad

Until 1971, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (later the Penn Central Railroad) operated commuter service between Grand Central Terminal and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which included a stop in Brookfield. Brookfield's station building is currently occupied by the Brookfield Craft Center, which ceased to operate as a station in 1971 when service ended. There was also a station on Stony Hill Road known as Brookfield Junction, which closed in 1925. Proposals have been made to extend the New Haven Line's Danbury Branch to New Milford, which would include a Brookfield Metro-North station. The Danbury Branch provides commuter rail service between Danbury, to South Norwalk, Stamford, and Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The tracks north of Danbury are currently used by the Housatonic Railroad for freight service. This extension would give Brookfield's significant population of commuters another way to travel to Lower Fairfield County and New York City, since they must currently leave from the nearby Danbury station or other stations along the New Haven or Harlem Lines, such as Brewster station (located 12 miles from Brookfield).

Airports

The closest public airport to Brookfield is Danbury Municipal Airport, being located in neighboring Danbury. Brookfield is within close proximity of several airports with commercial service, including Westchester County Airport, Bradley International Airport, Tweed New Haven Airport and NYC airports of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Emergency services

Fire Department and EMS

The town of Brookfield has two volunteer fire companies in town staffing three stations, with the headquarters for the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company being at 92 Pocono Rd, the Center Company at 6 Obtuse Hill Rd and the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department Candlewood Company at 18 Bayview Dr. The department was founded in 1934, and is composed entirely of volunteers.

Police Department

The Brookfield Police Department Headquarters is located at 63 Silvermine Rd, adjacent to the Brookfield Municipal Center. The department was established on July 1, 1977, and as of 2017, consists of 34 full-time officers, 6 special officers and 12 full and part-time civilian personnel. The Department Command Staff consists of the chief of police, a major and a captain. There is a Patrol Division, a Detective Division, including a youth officer and two school resource officers, and part-time SCUBA Team, Accident Investigation Team, tactical response technicians with the Danbury Police Department, and part-time evidence technicians. Brookfield has plans to expand the current police headquarters, citing a growth in the population served, as well as the size of the police force.

Media