What stands out worked out from the figures below

Manchester has the most renters (43.1% rent).

Windsor Locks has the most homeowners (77.1%).

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	Windsor Locks
People
Population	59,635Highest	12,579Lowest
Median age	37±1.2Lowest 10% below CT	41.4±2.6Highest about the CT average
Kids under 18	20%±1.6Highest CT: 20.2%	18.6%±3.4Lowest CT: 20.2%
	Manchester and Windsor Locks 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%	18.2%±2.7Highest CT: 18.5%
	Windsor Locks 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%Highest CT: 42.5%	28.6%Lowest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.5%±0.7Lowest CT: 7.1%	5.9%±1.8Highest CT: 7.1%
	Windsor Locks 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±$4kHighest 9% below CT	$81,205±$13kLowest 15% below CT
	Manchester and Windsor Locks 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	$258,800±$14kHighest 29% below CT
	Windsor Locks and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,519±$66Highest about the CT average	$1,394±$187Lowest 6% below CT
	Manchester and Windsor Locks 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	$3,688Lowest 44% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.1%±6.1Lowest CT: 52.6%	58.2%±16.8Highest CT: 52.6%
	Windsor Locks 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%	10.9%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	56.9%Lowest CT: 66.5%	77.1%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Highest 5 yrs older than CT	1961Lowest 6 yrs older than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minHighest 15% below CT	22 minLowest 17% below CT
Work from home	14.3%±1.9Lowest CT: 16%	17.7%±3.7Highest CT: 16%
	Windsor Locks 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	#109 of 149 in CT
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Odyssey Community School District	Windsor Locks School District
High school in town	Manchester High School	Windsor Locks High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Highest	8.9Lowest
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.