What stands out worked out from the figures below

Middletown has the most renters (47.1% rent).

Durham has the highest household income ($159k).

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	Middletown	Durham
People
Population	47,958Highest	7,208Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.1% CT: +0.9%	—
Median age	38.1±1.5Lowest 7% below CT	45.5±2.8Highest 11% above CT
Kids under 18	14.3%±1.3Lowest CT: 20.2%	16.4%±3.6Highest CT: 20.2%
	Durham and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.5%±1.3Lowest CT: 18.5%	17.4%±3.7Highest CT: 18.5%
	Durham and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.2%Lowest CT: 42.5%	47.9%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	15.5%±1.4Highest CT: 7.1%	3.6%±1.5Lowest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$79,438±$6kLowest 17% below CT	$158,857±$7kHighest 66% above CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$295,300±$11kLowest 20% below CT	$424,800±$23kHighest 16% above CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,446±$45Highest about the CT average	$1,154±$448Lowest 22% below CT
	Middletown and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,412Lowest 3% below CT	$7,998Highest 20% above CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.7%±5.3Highest CT: 52.6%	44.9%±28.4Lowest CT: 52.6%
	Middletown and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	12%Highest CT: 10%	3.4%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	52.9%Lowest CT: 66.5%	93.2%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 5 yrs newer than CT	1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minHighest 12% below CT	23 minLowest 13% below CT
Work from home	14.1%±1.8Lowest CT: 16%	20.5%±6.4Highest CT: 16%
	Durham and Middletown 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	#121 of 149 in CT	#88 of 149 in CT
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services	Regional School District 13
High school in town	Middletown High School	Coginchaug Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.8Highest	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.