What stands out worked out from the figures below

Mansfield has the youngest population (median age 21.2).

Lancaster has the most kids (19.2% under 18).

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	Mansfield	Lancaster
People
Population	25,358Highest	8,606Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+4.8% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	21.2±0.2Lowest 46% below U.S.	43.1±4.9Highest 11% above U.S.
Kids under 18	9.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.2%±4Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	11%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	19.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	57.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	50.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	57%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$72,393±$12kLowest 10% below U.S.	$134,833±$27kHighest 67% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$335,400±$20kLowest about the U.S. average	$519,100±$60kHighest 56% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,602±$104Lowest 13% above U.S.	$2,338±$539Highest 65% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,727Lowest 84% above U.S.	$7,235Highest 132% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	76%±9.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	68.3%±36.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Mansfield and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	21.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	57.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	85.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 22% below U.S.	32 minHighest 20% above U.S.
Work from home	28.3%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	33.6%±9.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Lancaster and Mansfield 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	#45 of 149 in CT	#145 of 282 in MA
School district	Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District	Nashoba
High school in town	E. O. Smith High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	11.8	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.