Compare towns
Hartford vs Upton vs Waterbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hartford has the most renters (74.3% rent).
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
Waterbury has the most affordable homes ($209k median).
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 | Hartford | Upton | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 121,127Highest |
8,189Lowest |
114,869 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.1±0.6Lowest 15% below U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
37.8±1.3 about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 22.7%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 12.2%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.3%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Upton and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
17.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.2%±0.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±0.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $46,411±$3kLowest 43% below U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$51,886±$2k 36% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $228,600±$8k 31% below U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$208,500±$6kLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,269±$25Highest 10% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,225±$38 13% below U.S. |
| Hartford and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,603Lowest 48% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$5,449 75% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.4%±3.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
58.6%±4.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hartford and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 26.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
24.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 25.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
47.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1959 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
28 min 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.4%±1.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.3%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #146 of 149 in CT | #46 of 282 in MA | #144 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Judicial Centers | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Area Cooperative Educational Services |
| High school in town | Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy | Blackstone Valley | Crosby High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.9 |
11.2Lowest |
17.0Highest |
| 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.