Compare towns
Prospect vs Reading vs Waterbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Prospect has the most homeowners (93.5%).
Reading has the most people working from home (30.2%).
Waterbury has the most renters (52.8% 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.
| Measure | Prospect | Reading | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,458Lowest |
25,612 |
114,869Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.8±3.9Highest 20% above U.S. |
43.7±2.3 12% above U.S. |
37.8±1.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Prospect and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.8%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Waterbury and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.5%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±2.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.3%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Prospect and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
66.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
17.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±0.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Waterbury and Prospect are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $126,394±$18k 57% above U.S. |
$165,912±$13kHighest 106% above U.S. |
$51,886±$2kLowest 36% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $355,400±$21k 7% above U.S. |
$809,000±$22kHighest 143% above U.S. |
$208,500±$6kLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,800±$433 27% above U.S. |
$1,991±$273Highest 41% above U.S. |
$1,225±$38Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Reading and Prospect are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,504 109% above U.S. |
$9,320Highest 199% above U.S. |
$5,449Lowest 75% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.3%±31.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
58.6%±4.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Waterbury and Prospect are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
24.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
47.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Highest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 4% above U.S. |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
28 min 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.1%±3.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
30.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.3%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #50 of 149 in CT | #50 of 282 in MA | #144 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Regional School District 16 | — | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Area Cooperative Educational Services |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Crosby High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 17.0 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.