Compare towns
Willimantic vs Chaplin vs Mansfield vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Willimantic has the most renters (65.1% rent).
Chaplin has the most homeowners (82.9%).
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.
| Measure | Willimantic | Chaplin | Mansfield | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 18,096 |
2,070Lowest |
25,358Highest |
23,961 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3% CT: +0.9% |
— | — | — |
| Median age | 31.3±2.7 24% below CT |
43.7±4.8Highest 6% above CT |
21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT |
33.7±1.9 18% below CT |
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±2.5Highest CT: 20.2% |
15.7%±4.2 CT: 20.2% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2% |
20.1%±2.4 CT: 20.2% |
| Willimantic and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 11%±1.7Lowest CT: 18.5% |
20.9%±4.4Highest CT: 18.5% |
11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5% |
14.3%±1.9 CT: 18.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.2% CT: 42.5% |
25.4% CT: 42.5% |
57.9%Highest CT: 42.5% |
22.7%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.1%±2.1 CT: 7.1% |
10.1%±6.2Lowest CT: 7.1% |
57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1% |
15.2%±1.8 CT: 7.1% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $45,962±$7kLowest 52% below CT |
$97,846±$14kHighest about the CT average |
$72,393±$12k 24% below CT |
$55,736±$5k 42% below CT |
| Chaplin and Mansfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $190,900±$17kLowest 48% below CT |
$255,200±$24k 30% below CT |
$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT |
$209,800±$9k 43% below CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$68Lowest 29% below CT |
$1,473±$275 about the CT average |
$1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT |
$1,107±$69 26% below CT |
| Mansfield and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,678 30% below CT |
$4,524Lowest 32% below CT |
$5,727Highest 14% below CT |
$4,633 30% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.9%±8.1 CT: 52.6% |
33.6%±27.7Lowest CT: 52.6% |
76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
57.1%±8.1 CT: 52.6% |
| Below poverty line | 23.4%Highest CT: 10% |
5.4%Lowest CT: 10% |
21.6% CT: 10% |
20.7% CT: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 34.9%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
82.9%Highest CT: 66.5% |
57.3% CT: 66.5% |
47.4% CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 14 yrs older than CT |
1979Highest 12 yrs newer than CT |
1976 9 yrs newer than CT |
1956 11 yrs older than CT |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 12% below CT |
32 minHighest 22% above CT |
21 minLowest 22% below CT |
24 min 8% below CT |
| Work from home | 6.2%±2 CT: 16% |
18.1%±10 CT: 16% |
28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16% |
6.1%±1.7Lowest CT: 16% |
| Mansfield and Chaplin 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 | — | — | #45 of 149 in CT | #143 of 149 in CT |
| School district | — | Chaplin School District · Regional School District 11 | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (EAS |
| High school in town | — | Parish Hill High School | E. O. Smith High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.5Lowest |
11.8Highest |
9.8 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.