Compare towns
Willimantic vs Suffield vs Thomaston
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).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
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 | Suffield | Thomaston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 18,096Highest |
15,702 |
7,492Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.3% CT: +0.9% |
— | — |
| Median age | 31.3±2.7Lowest 24% below CT |
44.5±1.7Highest 8% above CT |
41.5±7.7 about the CT average |
| Suffield and Thomaston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±2.5Highest CT: 20.2% |
16.2%±2Lowest CT: 20.2% |
20.5%±5.2 CT: 20.2% |
| Willimantic and Thomaston 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% |
18.4%±2.2 CT: 18.5% |
18.6%±3.6Highest CT: 18.5% |
| Thomaston and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24.2%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
40.4%Highest CT: 42.5% |
34% CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.1%±2.1Highest CT: 7.1% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest CT: 7.1% |
5.5%±2.1 CT: 7.1% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $45,962±$7kLowest 52% below CT |
$119,472±$13kHighest 25% above CT |
$103,218±$15k 8% above CT |
| Suffield and Thomaston 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 |
$407,500±$26kHighest 11% above CT |
$282,600±$23k 23% below CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,063±$68 29% below CT |
$1,424±$141Highest 4% below CT |
$1,037±$147Lowest 30% below CT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,678Lowest 30% below CT |
$6,456Highest about the CT average |
$5,915 11% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.9%±8.1 CT: 52.6% |
51%±4.6Lowest CT: 52.6% |
57.9%±22Highest CT: 52.6% |
| Thomaston and Willimantic are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 23.4%Highest CT: 10% |
4.6% CT: 10% |
2.3%Lowest CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 34.9%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
86.7%Highest CT: 66.5% |
77.7% CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 14 yrs older than CT |
1979Highest 12 yrs newer than CT |
1961 6 yrs older than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 12% below CT |
26 min 3% below CT |
27 minHighest about the CT average |
| Work from home | 6.2%±2Lowest CT: 16% |
18.4%±4.1Highest CT: 16% |
7.6%±3.7 CT: 16% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #57 of 149 in CT | #106 of 149 in CT |
| School district | — | Suffield School District | Thomaston School District |
| High school in town | — | Suffield High School | Thomaston High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.9Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.