What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Johnston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.8%).

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	Johnston
People
Population	35,547Highest	29,835Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.9±1.8Lowest 10% above U.S.	44.5±2.5Highest 14% above U.S.
	Johnston and Torrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.9%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22%	17.5%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Torrington and Johnston 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%	22.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Johnston 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%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	28.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.7%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Johnston and Torrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,856±$5kLowest 12% below U.S.	$91,866±$6kHighest 14% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$215,500±$8kLowest 35% below U.S.	$355,500±$13kHighest 7% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,169±$43Lowest 17% below U.S.	$1,275±$132Highest 10% below U.S.
	Johnston and Torrington 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.	$4,614Lowest 48% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48%±6.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	38.1%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Torrington and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	66.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S.	1968Highest 12 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 5% below U.S.	24 minLowest 11% below U.S.
Work from home	9%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	9.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Johnston 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	#32 of 38 in RI
School district	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Torrington School District	Johnston
High school in town	Torrington High School	Johnston Senior High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Highest	10.3Lowest
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.