Compare towns
Stafford vs Ware vs Willington
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 most kids (21.5% under 18).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Willington has the youngest population (median age 37.5).
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 | Ware | Willington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,511Highest |
10,048 |
5,575Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +2% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 46.7±4.8Highest 20% above U.S. |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
37.5±7.2Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Stafford and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.5%±3.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
12.8%±4.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Stafford and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22%±3 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.3%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Willington and Stafford 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% |
24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
14.6%±6.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $93,235±$16kHighest 15% above U.S. |
$67,475±$15kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$91,114±$12k 13% above U.S. |
| Stafford and Willington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $263,800±$22kLowest 21% below U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$305,800±$48kHighest 8% below U.S. |
| Willington and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,086±$85 23% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,357±$116Highest 4% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,131 65% above U.S. |
$4,237Lowest 36% above U.S. |
$5,419Highest 74% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.5%±12.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
70%±20.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Willington and Ware 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% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
13%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
64%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970 10 yrs older than U.S. |
1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 11%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ware 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 | #267 of 282 in MA | #104 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Stafford School District | Ware | Willington School District |
| High school in town | Stafford High School | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
11.1Highest |
— |
| 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.