What stands out worked out from the figures below

Manchester has the most renters (43.1% rent).

Hampton has the most homeowners (90%).

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	Hampton
People
Population	59,635Highest	1,647Lowest
Median age	37±1.2Lowest 10% below CT	51.5±5.3Highest 25% above CT
Kids under 18	20%±1.6Highest CT: 20.2%	19.7%±5.3Lowest CT: 20.2%
	Manchester and Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.5%±1.2Lowest CT: 18.5%	26.1%±2.1Highest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.5%Highest CT: 42.5%	29.9%Lowest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±0.7Highest CT: 7.1%	1.9%±1.1Lowest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$86,840±$4kLowest 9% below CT	$109,167±$19kHighest 14% above CT
	Hampton and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$247,100±$6kLowest 33% below CT	$295,800±$27kHighest 19% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,519±$66Highest about the CT average	$1,285±$288Lowest 14% below CT
	Manchester and Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,652Highest 15% below CT	$4,364Lowest 34% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.1%±6.1Lowest CT: 52.6%	52.5%±51.5Highest CT: 52.6%
	Hampton and Manchester 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%	5.7%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	56.9%Lowest CT: 66.5%	90%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Lowest 5 yrs older than CT	1980Highest 13 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 15% below CT	29 minHighest 9% above CT
Work from home	14.3%±1.9Lowest CT: 16%	17.7%±5.1Highest CT: 16%
	Hampton 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	—
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Odyssey Community School District	Hampton School District
High school in town	Manchester High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1	—
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.