What stands out worked out from the figures below

Putnam has the oldest population (median age 43.7).

Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).

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	Putnam	Mansfield
People
Population	9,292Lowest	25,358Highest
Median age	43.7±3Highest 6% above CT	21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT
Kids under 18	18.6%±3.6Highest CT: 20.2%	9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2%
Age 65+	18.5%±3.1Highest CT: 18.5%	11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20%Lowest CT: 42.5%	57.9%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±1.4Lowest CT: 7.1%	57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,561±$7kLowest 26% below CT	$72,393±$12kHighest 24% below CT
	Mansfield and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$269,200±$11kLowest 27% below CT	$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,149±$44Lowest 23% below CT	$1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,860Lowest 42% below CT	$5,727Highest 14% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.7%±11.6Lowest CT: 52.6%	76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6%
Below poverty line	11.5%Lowest CT: 10%	21.6%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	59.8%Highest CT: 66.5%	57.3%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Lowest 6 yrs older than CT	1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 6% below CT	21 minLowest 22% below CT
Work from home	9%±2.8Lowest CT: 16%	28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#128 of 149 in CT	#45 of 149 in CT
School district	Putnam School District	Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District
High school in town	Putnam High School	E. O. Smith High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	11.8Highest
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.