What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wallingford has the most kids (18.8% 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	Wallingford	Mansfield
People
Population	44,362Highest	25,358Lowest
Median age	42.6±1.8Highest 4% above CT	21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT
Kids under 18	18.8%±1.9Highest CT: 20.2%	9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2%
Age 65+	21.2%±1.7Highest CT: 18.5%	11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.4%Lowest CT: 42.5%	57.9%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6%±1Lowest CT: 7.1%	57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$104,773±$5kHighest 9% above CT	$72,393±$12kLowest 24% below CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$353,100±$8kHighest 4% below CT	$335,400±$20kLowest 9% below CT
	Wallingford and Mansfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,374±$84Lowest 8% below CT	$1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,963Highest 10% below CT	$5,727Lowest 14% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	42.9%±8.9Lowest CT: 52.6%	76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6%
Below poverty line	5.4%Lowest CT: 10%	21.6%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	72.8%Highest CT: 66.5%	57.3%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 5 yrs newer than CT	1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 8% below CT	21 minLowest 22% below CT
Work from home	13.3%±2Lowest CT: 16%	28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#108 of 149 in CT	#45 of 149 in CT
School district	Wallingford School District	Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District
High school in town	Lyman Hall High School	E. O. Smith High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.5Lowest	11.8Highest
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.