Middletown is the unofficial county seat of that part of Connecticut and you will see lots of evidence of the social safety net, including the main criminal court, one of the oldest community health centers in the country (with deep Wesleyan connections), a hospital, two fire stations and a mammoth police station. What can I say? It’s not Williamstown. But, it’s not Hartford or New Haven either.
I think Tufts sounds like the better fit, both socially and for what you want to study. I also think that prestige-wise, these two are pretty much comparable.
They are both great schools, btw, so neither is a bad choice. It’s just which one is better for you.