Compare towns
Stafford vs Athol vs Windsor Locks
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Stafford has the highest household income ($93k).
Athol has the most renters (27.6% rent).
Windsor Locks has the most people working from home (17.7%).
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 | Stafford | Athol | Windsor Locks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,511Lowest |
12,011 |
12,579Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 46.7±4.8Highest 20% above U.S. |
41.3±1.9Lowest 6% above U.S. |
41.4±2.6 6% above U.S. |
| Stafford and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.5%±3.1 U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.6%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Athol and Stafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22%±3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±2.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.2%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Stafford and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
20.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Windsor Locks and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,235±$16kHighest 15% above U.S. |
$69,316±$5kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$81,205±$13k about the U.S. average |
| Stafford and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $263,800±$22k 21% below U.S. |
$268,100±$13kHighest 19% below U.S. |
$258,800±$14kLowest 22% below U.S. |
| Athol and Stafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$85Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,150±$182 19% below U.S. |
$1,394±$187Highest about the U.S. average |
| Windsor Locks and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,131Highest 65% above U.S. |
$3,403Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$3,688 18% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.5%±12.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.5%±17.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
58.2%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Windsor Locks and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
77.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Highest 10 yrs older than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 11%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.7%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Windsor Locks and Stafford 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 | #96 of 149 in CT | #256 of 282 in MA | #109 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Stafford School District | Athol-Royalston | Windsor Locks School District |
| High school in town | Stafford High School | Athol High | Windsor Locks High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8 |
11.6Highest |
8.9Lowest |
| 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.