Compare towns
Cranston vs Willimantic 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
Cranston has the most people working from home (13%).
Willimantic has the most renters (65.1% 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.
| Measure | Cranston | Willimantic | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 83,250Highest |
18,096Lowest |
23,961 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 39.6±0.9Highest about the U.S. average |
31.3±2.7Lowest 20% below U.S. |
33.7±1.9 13% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Willimantic and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
11%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.3%±1.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cranston and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
24.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
22.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.3%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.1%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
15.2%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Willimantic and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $90,206±$4kHighest 12% above U.S. |
$45,962±$7kLowest 43% below U.S. |
$55,736±$5k 31% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $378,300±$7kHighest 14% above U.S. |
$190,900±$17kLowest 43% below U.S. |
$209,800±$9k 37% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,375±$59Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,063±$68Lowest 25% below U.S. |
$1,107±$69 22% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,103Highest 64% above U.S. |
$4,678 50% above U.S. |
$4,633Lowest 49% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.3%±6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.9%±8.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.1%±8.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Windham and Willimantic are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
23.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
20.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
34.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
47.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Highest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1956 24 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 12% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 13%±1.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.1%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #27 of 38 in RI | — | #143 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Achievement First Rhode Island · Cranston | — | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (EAS |
| High school in town | Cranston High School West | — | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.4Highest |
— | 9.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
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.