For decades, New Yorkers have fled to the Hamptons for sun-soaked weekends and ocean air. But as its popularity has surged—and traffic, crowds, and price tags have climbed with it—the once-effortless escape has started to feel more like a scene than a sanctuary.
Now, a growing number of city dwellers are looking beyond the Hamptons for somewhere they can truly unwind—trading see-and-be-seen hot spots for quieter shores and a slower pace.
Litchfield County, CT—just two hours from Manhattan—fits the bill.
William Melnick, a real estate agent with Elyse Harney Real Estate, calls it the “anti-Hamptons.”
“When people go to the Hamptons, they think they are going to the country and not going to see the people they’ve seen all week, but now it’s New York City on steroids, and New York City by the sea,” he tells Realtor.com®. “It can take 3 to 4 hours to get there, and it’s super crowded and super commercial.”
Melnick says there’s so much traffic in Bridgehampton that just getting a cup of coffee can take a significant amount of time.
But those problems don’t exist in Litchfield County.
“It’s more chill and laid back here,” he says. “Every single town has a town beach. It’s idyllic, like you’re in a ‘Fun With Dick and Jane’ book.”
The former Ralph Lauren merchandising executive began weekending in Litchfield County in 2013, and made the full-time move there in 2018. The area is rich in nature, with inland freshwater beaches from streams and lakes.
Melnick appreciated the fact that it’s near the end of the Metro-North line, and that the Berkshires and Hudson Valley are next door, with skiing and outdoor activities all within easy reach.
Plus, it’s close enough that his husband can commute to New York City during the week, which gives them the best of both worlds.
Crunching the numbers
Housing in Litchfield County is more economical than the Hamptons, too.
“The largest markets in the Hamptons are Southampton and East Hampton, where median prices reach $3.7 million and $2.8 million, respectively, in January,” says Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com.
“Litchfield and the larger region are far more affordable than the Hamptons and, perhaps as a result, more competitive.”
The median listing price in the town of Litchfield was $599,000 in January, and homes spent just 53 days on the market.
“That’s more than three weeks less than the national norm,” says Jones. “Inventory levels in the area remain just a fraction of pre-pandemic levels, contributing to strong competition in the market.”
In Litchfield County, the median listing price was $650,000 in January, and homes spent roughly 85 days on the market, picking up roughly 18% compared with one year earlier.
By comparison, houses in Southampton and East Hampton saw homes spend even longer on the market in January, with a median of 135 and 129 days.
“In Litchfield County, inventory levels in the area are roughly a quarter of their pre-pandemic levels, and prices are more than $200,000 higher, underscoring the strong housing demand in the area,” says Jones.
Who’s buying in Litchfield County
Melnick says New York City buyers make up the largest share of the buyer pool in Litchfield County, with many of them purchasing second homes.
With about a dozen prestigious boarding schools nearby, Melnick notes that school families represent a notable segment of the market.
“They buy a second home near the boarding school to come on weekends for sporting events, or if they want to be geographically closer to their kids,” he explains.
Melnick says he’s also seen a lot of buyers coming from California since the wildfires. And, because inventory is tight and most offers are in all-cash, the market can be competitive.
Although the historic winter storms have slowed things down in the last few weeks, he expects to see an influx of activity when Wall Street distributes bonuses later this month.
“I know more inventory is coming on, especially when the weather warms up,” he says.
In terms of the types of the homes he expects to see hitting the market, Melnick says there’s a wide range of great American architecture in Litchfield County.
“We’ve got genuine Colonial houses and estates built in the Gilded Age,” he says. “And they’re not on top of each other, either.”
He says that strict zoning laws and land trusts limit new construction and keep the area less developed.
“It’s so beautiful and unspoiled here, and there’s so much open space, which homebuyers crave,” he adds.
According to Melnick, lower property taxes also lure buyers.
“Cross into New York, just five miles away, and you could be paying up to 75% more. You get more for your money here in Litchfield County,” he says.
