What stands out worked out from the figures below

Manchester has the most renters (43.1% rent).

Bolton has the most homeowners (88%).

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	Manchester	Bolton
People
Population	59,635Highest	4,853Lowest
Median age	37±1.2Lowest 10% below CT	43.7±3.3Highest 6% above CT
Kids under 18	20%±1.6 CT: 20.2%	20%±3.6 CT: 20.2%
Age 65+	15.5%±1.2Lowest CT: 18.5%	19.7%±3.4Highest CT: 18.5%
	Bolton and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.5%Lowest CT: 42.5%	51.3%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±0.7Lowest CT: 7.1%	7.7%±2.6Highest CT: 7.1%
	Bolton and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$86,840±$4kLowest 9% below CT	$126,364±$19kHighest 32% above CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$247,100±$6kLowest 33% below CT	$367,600±$17kHighest about the CT average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,519±$66Highest about the CT average	$1,127±$55Lowest 24% below CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,652Lowest 15% below CT	$8,091Highest 22% above CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.1%±6.1Highest CT: 52.6%	39.8%±30.8Lowest CT: 52.6%
	Manchester and Bolton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.8%Highest CT: 10%	7.2%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	56.9%Lowest CT: 66.5%	88%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Lowest 5 yrs older than CT	1969Highest 2 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 15% below CT	25 minHighest 6% below CT
Work from home	14.3%±1.9Lowest CT: 16%	20.7%±4.6Highest CT: 16%
	Bolton and Manchester 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	#135 of 149 in CT	#79 of 149 in CT
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Odyssey Community School District	Bolton School District
High school in town	Manchester High School	Bolton High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Highest	7.4Lowest
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.