Compare towns

Chaplin vs Mansfield vs Sturbridge vs Windham

Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..

What stands out worked out from the figures below

Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Sturbridge has the highest household income ($137k).
Windham has the most affordable homes ($210k median).
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.

MeasureChaplinMansfieldSturbridgeWindham
People
Population
2,070Lowest
25,358Highest
9,960
23,961
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — —
+6.5%
U.S.: +7.4%
—
Median age
43.7±4.8
12% above U.S.
21.2±0.2Lowest
46% below U.S.
47.2±2.6Highest
21% above U.S.
33.7±1.9
13% below U.S.
Sturbridge and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
15.7%±4.2
U.S.: 22%
9.2%±1.6Lowest
U.S.: 22%
20.7%±3Highest
U.S.: 22%
20.1%±2.4
U.S.: 22%
Sturbridge and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
20.9%±4.4Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
11%±1.5Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
19.8%±3
U.S.: 17.2%
14.3%±1.9
U.S.: 17.2%
Chaplin and Sturbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
25.4%
U.S.: 35.7%
57.9%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
49.3%
U.S.: 35.7%
22.7%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
10.1%±6.2
U.S.: 6.4%
57%±2.5Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
4.6%±1.5Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
15.2%±1.8
U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$97,846±$14k
21% above U.S.
$72,393±$12k
10% below U.S.
$136,759±$15kHighest
69% above U.S.
$55,736±$5kLowest
31% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$255,200±$24k
23% below U.S.
$335,400±$20k
about the U.S. average
$425,800±$18kHighest
28% above U.S.
$209,800±$9kLowest
37% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,473±$275
4% above U.S.
$1,602±$104Highest
13% above U.S.
$1,193±$398
16% below U.S.
$1,107±$69Lowest
22% below U.S.
Mansfield and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$4,524Lowest
45% above U.S.
$5,727
84% above U.S.
$6,520Highest
109% above U.S.
$4,633
49% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
33.6%±27.7Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
76%±9.6Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
42%±17.7
U.S.: 51.1%
57.1%±8.1
U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line
5.4%
U.S.: 12.5%
21.6%Highest
U.S.: 12.5%
3.7%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
20.7%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
82.9%
U.S.: 65.2%
57.3%
U.S.: 65.2%
86.3%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
47.4%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1979
1 yr older than U.S.
1976
4 yrs older than U.S.
1982Highest
2 yrs newer than U.S.
1956Lowest
24 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
32 min
23% above U.S.
21 minLowest
22% below U.S.
38 minHighest
43% above U.S.
24 min
8% below U.S.
Work from home
18.1%±10
U.S.: 15.1%
28.3%±3.3Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
19.8%±4.8
U.S.: 15.1%
6.1%±1.7Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading — #45 of 149 in CT #89 of 282 in MA #143 of 149 in CT
School district Chaplin School District · Regional School District 11 Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District Sturbridge · Tantasqua Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (EAS
High school in town Parish Hill High School E. O. Smith High School Tantasqua Regional Sr High Windham High School
Students per teacherat that high school
7.5Lowest
11.8Highest
7.7
9.8
On TownTapestry
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U.S. 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.