What stands out worked out from the figures below

Windsor Locks has the most homeowners (77.1%).

Hartford has the most renters (74.3% rent).

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	Windsor Locks	Hartford
People
Population	12,579Lowest	121,127Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	-3% CT: +0.9%
Median age	41.4±2.6Highest about the CT average	33.1±0.6Lowest 19% below CT
Kids under 18	18.6%±3.4Lowest CT: 20.2%	22.7%±1.1Highest CT: 20.2%
	Hartford and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.2%±2.7Highest CT: 18.5%	12.2%±0.8Lowest CT: 18.5%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.6%Highest CT: 42.5%	19.4%Lowest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±1.8Lowest CT: 7.1%	9.2%±0.7Highest CT: 7.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$81,205±$13kHighest 15% below CT	$46,411±$3kLowest 52% below CT
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$258,800±$14kHighest 29% below CT	$228,600±$8kLowest 38% below CT
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,394±$187Highest 6% below CT	$1,269±$25Lowest 15% below CT
	Windsor Locks and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,688Lowest 44% below CT	$4,603Highest 31% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58.2%±16.8Lowest CT: 52.6%	59.4%±3.4Highest CT: 52.6%
	Hartford and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.9%Lowest CT: 10%	26.3%Highest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77.1%Highest CT: 66.5%	25.7%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Highest 6 yrs older than CT	1951Lowest 16 yrs older than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 17% below CT	23 minHighest 13% below CT
Work from home	17.7%±3.7Highest CT: 16%	9.4%±1.3Lowest CT: 16%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#109 of 149 in CT	#146 of 149 in CT
School district	Windsor Locks School District	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Judicial Centers
High school in town	Windsor Locks High School	Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	8.9Lowest	15.9Highest
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.