What stands out worked out from the figures below

Putnam has the most affordable homes ($269k median).

Shelton has the most expensive homes ($453k median).

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	Shelton
People
Population	9,292Lowest	41,889Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+3.3% CT: +0.9%
Median age	43.7±3Lowest 6% above CT	44.5±1.5Highest 8% above CT
	Shelton and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.6%±3.6Lowest CT: 20.2%	18.9%±1.7Highest CT: 20.2%
	Shelton and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.5%±3.1Lowest CT: 18.5%	21.4%±1.5Highest CT: 18.5%
	Shelton and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20%Lowest CT: 42.5%	41.7%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±1.4Lowest CT: 7.1%	5.8%±1Highest CT: 7.1%
	Shelton and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,561±$7kLowest 26% below CT	$108,185±$11kHighest 13% above CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$269,200±$11kLowest 27% below CT	$452,600±$13kHighest 23% above CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,149±$44Lowest 23% below CT	$1,741±$216Highest 17% above CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,860Lowest 42% below CT	$5,409Highest 19% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.7%±11.6Lowest CT: 52.6%	53.8%±9.8Highest CT: 52.6%
	Shelton and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.5%Highest CT: 10%	6.6%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	59.8%Lowest CT: 66.5%	76.5%Highest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Lowest 6 yrs older than CT	1977Highest 10 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest 6% below CT	30 minHighest 14% above CT
Work from home	9%±2.8Lowest CT: 16%	13.9%±2.8Highest CT: 16%
	Shelton and Putnam 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	#128 of 149 in CT	#71 of 149 in CT
School district	Putnam School District	Shelton School District
High school in town	Putnam High School	Shelton High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	14.3Highest
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.