| Norwalk, Connecticut is a large city located on the shores of Long Island Sound, and roughly 50 miles north of New York City. With a population of 88,145 people, it is the sixth largest city in the state. Predominantly a white-collar city, more than 85% of the workforce is employed, which is well above the national average. Overall, it is a city of sales and office workers, professionals and service providers. The convenience of hopping onto the Metro North train in one of the two stations and being in Grand Central Station is just over an hour makes it a very attractive location for commuters. Norwalk’s crime rate is considerably higher than the national average when looking at all communities in America, from the largest to the smallest. Although at 21 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either a violent or a property crime there is 1 in 48. Relative to the rest of Connecticut, it has a crime rate that is higher than 80% of the state’s other cities and towns of all sizes. When compared to other communities of similar populations, it has a crime rate that is noticeably lower than the average. This means that for comparably sized cities all across America, it is actually a safer city than most according to FBI crime data. For the most recent year that statistics are available, Norwalk had 64 robberies in 2014. That was up from 61 in 2013. There were 219 burglaries recorded in 2014, but that marked a fifth consecutive year in which that number declined, beginning in 2010 when there were 343. There were 1285 theft and 93 auto thefts recorded in 2014, along with three murders. As in any large city or town, there is obviously a need for homeowners, or renters, to invest in a good home alarm system to protect themselves and their property. Homeowners can help themselves greatly by installing an alarm system in their home. They can also do some very elementary things to help reduce the likelihood of a crime occurring on their property, or to their home. As simple as this sounds, they should always lock all doors and windows. Thieves will take the path with the least resistance, and move on if there is too much effort required. This also goes for locking any vehicles in their driveway or garage, and always keeping your garage doors locked. By keeping ladders, step stools, or any other items out of reach that may allow thieves access to higher windows, homeowners can reduce the likelihood of break-ins. When homeowners are going away, they should go into the police station and fill out a vacant home report and request extra patrols of their home. They can also install timers throughout the house to have lights come on at different times to give the illusion that the home is occupied. Putting a hold on mail delivery as well as newspapers can also give the appearance that all is normal, as opposed to newspapers piling up in the driveway, which tells thieves that nobody is at home. Norwalk is not only of the most well-educated cities in Connecticut, but in all of the nation. More than 40% of adults there have at least a bachelor’s degree.That is almost twice the average community in America, which has just 21.84% with a bachelor’s degree or higher. The most recent per capita income in Norwalk in 2013 was $39,321, which is considered upper middle income relative to the rest of Connecticut, and wealthy when compared to the rest of the nation. This translates to an annual income of $175,112 for a family of four. While Norwalk enjoys the reputation of being an affluent and educated location to settle down in, there are still issues regarding crime that residents, or future residents, need to be aware of: The overall crime rate is 26% lower than the national averageFor every 100,000 people, there are 5.76 daily crimes that occurIt is safer than 45% of the cities in the United StatesPeople have a 1 in 48 chance of becoming a victim of any crimeThe number of total year-over-year crimes has not changed For those looking to purchase a home in Norwalk, be prepared to dig deep into your wallet! Home prices are not only among the most expensive in Connecticut, but also consistently rank among the priciest in the nation. The median home value there is $387,200, and home values have gone up 1.3% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will rise 2.6% within the next year. The median list price per square foot is $272, which is higher than the Stamford Metro average of $252. The median price of homes currently listed in Norwalk is $470,000. If someone is going to make a major investment and purchase a home in Norwalk, there’s really no excuse not to have an alarm system installed in the home. For just a few hundred dollars a year, homeowners can have a system installed with around the clock monitoring, multiple motion detectors, as well as door and window sensors. Newer systems come with wireless and cellular connections, so the homeowner never has to worry about a power outage or cut phone lines. The key to having an alarm system is simple-use it! Whether you are inside your home, across the country or across the street, it doesn’t do any good unless it’s being used. |
