Compare towns
Bristol vs Mansfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bristol has the most kids (20.1% under 18).
Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Mansfield is a college town. 57% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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.
| Measure | Bristol | Mansfield |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 61,462Highest |
25,358Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.6% CT: +0.9% |
— |
| Median age | 37.9±1.5Highest 8% below CT |
21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT |
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±1.7Highest CT: 20.2% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2% |
| Age 65+ | 16.2%±1.2Highest CT: 18.5% |
11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
57.9%Highest CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.9%±0.9Lowest CT: 7.1% |
57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $79,076±$6kHighest 17% below CT |
$72,393±$12kLowest 24% below CT |
| Bristol and Mansfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $277,800±$8kLowest 24% below CT |
$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,338±$45Lowest 10% below CT |
$1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,449Lowest 18% below CT |
$5,727Highest 14% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.5%±5.9Lowest CT: 52.6% |
76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
| Below poverty line | 10.7%Lowest CT: 10% |
21.6%Highest CT: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.9%Highest CT: 66.5% |
57.3%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest same as CT |
1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 11% below CT |
21 minLowest 22% below CT |
| Work from home | 11.4%±1.7Lowest CT: 16% |
28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #115 of 149 in CT | #45 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Bristol School District | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District |
| High school in town | Bristol Central High School | E. O. Smith High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.0Highest |
11.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 6 photos → | 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.