What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sterling has the most kids (22.8% under 18).

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	Sterling	Mansfield
People
Population	3,629Lowest	25,358Highest
Median age	39.4±5.9Highest 4% below CT	21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT
Kids under 18	22.8%±5.9Highest CT: 20.2%	9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2%
Age 65+	13%±3.8Highest CT: 18.5%	11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5%
	Sterling and Mansfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	18%Lowest CT: 42.5%	57.9%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±1.9Lowest CT: 7.1%	57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$102,695±$12kHighest 7% above CT	$72,393±$12kLowest 24% below CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$283,400±$17kLowest 23% below CT	$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,602±$104 8% above CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,551Lowest 31% below CT	$5,727Highest 14% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	32%±18.1Lowest CT: 52.6%	76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6%
Below poverty line	8.3%Lowest CT: 10%	21.6%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	81.1%Highest CT: 66.5%	57.3%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1988Highest 21 yrs newer than CT	1976Lowest 9 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	35 minHighest 34% above CT	21 minLowest 22% below CT
Work from home	11.6%±6.4Lowest CT: 16%	28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#119 of 149 in CT	#45 of 149 in CT
School district	Sterling School District	Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District
High school in town	None in town	E. O. Smith High School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	11.8
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.