What stands out worked out from the figures below

Torrington has the most affordable homes ($216k median).

Gardner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.2%).

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	Torrington	Gardner
People
Population	35,547Highest	21,148Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.9±1.8Lowest 10% above U.S.	43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S.
	Gardner and Torrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.9%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.3%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22%
	Gardner and Torrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	19.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gardner and Torrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	24.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	23.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.7%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Torrington and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,856±$5kHighest 12% below U.S.	$67,518±$8kLowest 16% below U.S.
	Torrington and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$215,500±$8kLowest 35% below U.S.	$301,600±$20kHighest 9% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,169±$43Highest 17% below U.S.	$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Torrington and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,042Highest 62% above U.S.	$4,150Lowest 33% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gardner and Torrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.7% U.S.: 12.5%	13.7% U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	66.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	58.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1960Highest 20 yrs older than U.S.	1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest 5% below U.S.	31 minHighest 16% above U.S.
Work from home	9%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	13.3%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Gardner and Torrington 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	#132 of 149 in CT	#273 of 282 in MA
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Torrington School District	Gardner
High school in town	Torrington High School	Gardner High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Lowest	13.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.