What stands out worked out from the figures below

Manchester has the most people working from home (14.3%).

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.

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

Measure	Manchester	Willimantic
People
Population	59,635Highest	18,096Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+2.3% CT: +0.9%
Median age	37±1.2Highest 10% below CT	31.3±2.7Lowest 24% below CT
Kids under 18	20%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2%	20.6%±2.5Highest CT: 20.2%
	Willimantic and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.5%±1.2Highest CT: 18.5%	11%±1.7Lowest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.5%Highest CT: 42.5%	24.2%Lowest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±0.7Lowest CT: 7.1%	19.1%±2.1Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$86,840±$4kHighest 9% below CT	$45,962±$7kLowest 52% below CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$247,100±$6kHighest 33% below CT	$190,900±$17kLowest 48% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,519±$66Highest about the CT average	$1,063±$68Lowest 29% below CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,652Highest 15% below CT	$4,678Lowest 30% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.1%±6.1Lowest CT: 52.6%	55.9%±8.1Highest CT: 52.6%
	Willimantic and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.8%Lowest CT: 10%	23.4%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	56.9%Highest CT: 66.5%	34.9%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Highest 5 yrs older than CT	1953Lowest 14 yrs older than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 15% below CT	23 minHighest 12% below CT
Work from home	14.3%±1.9Highest CT: 16%	6.2%±2Lowest CT: 16%
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	—
High school in town	Manchester High School	—
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.