What stands out worked out from the figures below

Manchester has the most kids (20% under 18).

Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Manchester	Mansfield
People
Population	59,635Highest	25,358Lowest
Median age	37±1.2Highest 10% below CT	21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT
Kids under 18	20%±1.6Highest CT: 20.2%	9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2%
Age 65+	15.5%±1.2Highest CT: 18.5%	11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.5%Lowest CT: 42.5%	57.9%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±0.7Lowest CT: 7.1%	57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$86,840±$4kHighest 9% below CT	$72,393±$12kLowest 24% below CT
	Manchester and Mansfield 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	$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,519±$66Lowest about the CT average	$1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT
	Mansfield and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,652Lowest 15% below CT	$5,727Highest 14% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.1%±6.1Lowest CT: 52.6%	76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6%
Below poverty line	10.8%Lowest CT: 10%	21.6%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	56.9%Lowest CT: 66.5%	57.3%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Lowest 5 yrs older than CT	1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minHighest 15% below CT	21 minLowest 22% below CT
Work from home	14.3%±1.9Lowest CT: 16%	28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#135 of 149 in CT	#45 of 149 in CT
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Odyssey Community School District	Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District
High school in town	Manchester High School	E. O. Smith High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Lowest	11.8Highest
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.