“The lifestyle here caters to a range of interests,” Mr. Marpe said. “And to high expectations.”

The 20-square-mile suburb is situated midway along the Long Island Sound in Fairfield County, bordered by Norwalk, Wilton, Weston, Fairfield and five miles of coastline — so sustainability is another priority.

Plastic bags have been banned since 2009, Mr. Marpe said, and next month an ordinance banning additional plastic and Styrofoam items in food-service businesses is slated to take effect. Since 2017, Westport’s Net Zero by 2050 initiative has been supporting efforts like these to minimize environmental damage.

“We live in a place that dates back to the very start of this country,” Mr. Marpe said. “There is a sense of history here, but we are firmly focused on the future.”

What You’ll Find

Intersected north-south by the Saugatuck River and east-west by Interstate 95, the Route 1 commercial corridor and the Merritt Parkway, Westport is divided into neighborhoods: In Greens Farms, the oldest section, you’ll find waterfront estates. Compo abuts the Sound. The area known as In-Town is within walking distance of the main downtown, where there are national retailers and upscale boutiques. Saugatuck, a second downtown, has a cluster of restaurants and small businesses along the river. Staples High School is in the Long Lots neighborhood; Old Hill is west of the river; and Coleytown is farther out, to the north, with larger lots.

Image 16 BURRITTS LANDING | An eight-bedroom house with 10 and a half bathrooms, built in 1860 on two acres, listed for $4.5 million. 203-526-6537 Credit... Jane Beiles for The New York Times

House hunters will find mostly single-family homes — 8,818 of them, said Paul Friia, Westport’s assessor. The mix of housing includes many colonials and farmhouses dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, some of them restored and expanded, others razed and rebuilt.