Compare towns
Wallingford vs Mansfield vs Southington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
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%).
Southington has the highest household income ($124k).
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.
| Measure | Wallingford | Mansfield | Southington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 44,362Highest |
25,358Lowest |
43,803 |
| Median age | 42.6±1.8 4% above CT |
21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT |
45±1.4Highest 9% above CT |
| Southington and Wallingford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±1.9Highest CT: 20.2% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2% |
18.7%±1.4 CT: 20.2% |
| Wallingford and Southington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.2%±1.7Highest CT: 18.5% |
11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5% |
21%±1.6 CT: 18.5% |
| Wallingford and Southington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.4%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
57.9%Highest CT: 42.5% |
43.4% CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±1Lowest CT: 7.1% |
57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1% |
6.3%±1.1 CT: 7.1% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,773±$5k 9% above CT |
$72,393±$12kLowest 24% below CT |
$124,309±$9kHighest 30% above CT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $353,100±$8k 4% below CT |
$335,400±$20kLowest 9% below CT |
$373,800±$10kHighest about the CT average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,374±$84Lowest 8% below CT |
$1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT |
$1,472±$77 about the CT average |
| Mansfield and Southington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,963 10% below CT |
$5,727Lowest 14% below CT |
$6,206Highest 7% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.9%±8.9Lowest CT: 52.6% |
76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
43.9%±8.6 CT: 52.6% |
| Below poverty line | 5.4% CT: 10% |
21.6%Highest CT: 10% |
4.9%Lowest CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.8% CT: 66.5% |
57.3%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
81.1%Highest CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Lowest 5 yrs newer than CT |
1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT |
1974 7 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 8% below CT |
21 minLowest 22% below CT |
24 min 9% below CT |
| Work from home | 13.3%±2Lowest CT: 16% |
28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16% |
17.3%±2.9 CT: 16% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #108 of 149 in CT | #45 of 149 in CT | #51 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Wallingford School District | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District | Southington School District |
| High school in town | Lyman Hall High School | E. O. Smith High School | Southington High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.5Lowest |
11.8 |
12.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.