What stands out worked out from the figures below

Berlin has the most homeowners (82.6%).

Hamden has the most renters (37.6% rent).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Berlin	Hamden
People
Population	20,361Lowest	61,045Highest
Median age	48.7±3Highest 18% above CT	38.7±0.9Lowest 6% below CT
Kids under 18	19.4%±2.7Highest CT: 20.2%	17%±1.5Lowest CT: 20.2%
	Berlin and Hamden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	23.5%±3.1Highest CT: 18.5%	18.1%±1.3Lowest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.9%Lowest CT: 42.5%	47.8%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.2%±1.5Lowest CT: 7.1%	15%±1.1Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$113,598±$11kHighest 19% above CT	$98,306±$7kLowest about the CT average
	Berlin and Hamden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$374,600±$13kHighest about the CT average	$298,200±$9kLowest 19% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,402±$88Lowest 6% below CT	$1,746±$50Highest 17% above CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,291Lowest 10% above CT	$7,784Highest 17% above CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	63.4%±11.3Highest CT: 52.6%	50.9%±5.4Lowest CT: 52.6%
	Berlin and Hamden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.4%Lowest CT: 10%	9.3%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.6%Highest CT: 66.5%	62.4%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 5 yrs newer than CT	1964Lowest 3 yrs older than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 21% below CT	22 minHighest 18% below CT
Work from home	14.4%±4.6Lowest CT: 16%	16.3%±2.1Highest CT: 16%
	Hamden and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#73 of 149 in CT	#122 of 149 in CT
School district	Berlin School District	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Area Cooperative Educational Services
High school in town	Berlin High School	Hamden High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.5Lowest	13.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

CT average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.