Compare towns
Willimantic vs Sterling vs Mansfield
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).
Sterling has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | Sterling | Mansfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 18,096 |
3,629Lowest |
25,358Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3% CT: +0.9% |
— | — |
| Median age | 31.3±2.7 24% below CT |
39.4±5.9Highest 4% below CT |
21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT |
| Sterling and Willimantic are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±2.5 CT: 20.2% |
22.8%±5.9Highest CT: 20.2% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2% |
| Sterling and Willimantic 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% |
13%±3.8Highest CT: 18.5% |
11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5% |
| Sterling and Willimantic are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.2% CT: 42.5% |
18%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
57.9%Highest CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.1%±2.1 CT: 7.1% |
3.7%±1.9Lowest CT: 7.1% |
57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $45,962±$7kLowest 52% below CT |
$102,695±$12kHighest 7% above CT |
$72,393±$12k 24% below CT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $190,900±$17kLowest 48% below CT |
$283,400±$17k 23% below CT |
$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$68Lowest 29% below CT |
— | $1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,678 30% below CT |
$4,551Lowest 31% below CT |
$5,727Highest 14% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.9%±8.1 CT: 52.6% |
32%±18.1Lowest CT: 52.6% |
76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
| Below poverty line | 23.4%Highest CT: 10% |
8.3%Lowest CT: 10% |
21.6% CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 34.9%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
81.1%Highest CT: 66.5% |
57.3% CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 14 yrs older than CT |
1988Highest 21 yrs newer than CT |
1976 9 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 12% below CT |
35 minHighest 34% above CT |
21 minLowest 22% below CT |
| Work from home | 6.2%±2Lowest CT: 16% |
11.6%±6.4 CT: 16% |
28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #119 of 149 in CT | #45 of 149 in CT |
| School district | — | Sterling School District | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | E. O. Smith High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.8 |
| 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.