What stands out worked out from the figures below

Windsor Locks has the most homeowners (77.1%).

Manchester has the most renters (43.1% 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	Manchester
People
Population	12,579Lowest	59,635Highest
Median age	41.4±2.6Highest about the CT average	37±1.2Lowest 10% below CT
Kids under 18	18.6%±3.4Lowest CT: 20.2%	20%±1.6Highest CT: 20.2%
	Manchester 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%	15.5%±1.2Lowest CT: 18.5%
	Windsor Locks and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.6%Lowest CT: 42.5%	40.5%Highest CT: 42.5%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±1.8Highest CT: 7.1%	5.5%±0.7Lowest CT: 7.1%
	Windsor Locks and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$81,205±$13kLowest 15% below CT	$86,840±$4kHighest 9% below CT
	Manchester and Windsor Locks are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$258,800±$14kHighest 29% below CT	$247,100±$6kLowest 33% below CT
	Windsor Locks and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,394±$187Lowest 6% below CT	$1,519±$66Highest about the CT average
	Manchester and Windsor Locks 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	$5,652Highest 15% below CT
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58.2%±16.8Highest CT: 52.6%	48.1%±6.1Lowest CT: 52.6%
	Windsor Locks and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.9%Highest CT: 10%	10.8%Lowest CT: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	77.1%Highest CT: 66.5%	56.9%Lowest CT: 66.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Lowest 6 yrs older than CT	1962Highest 5 yrs older than CT
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 17% below CT	23 minHighest 15% below CT
Work from home	17.7%±3.7Highest CT: 16%	14.3%±1.9Lowest CT: 16%
	Windsor Locks and Manchester 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	#109 of 149 in CT	#135 of 149 in CT
School district	Windsor Locks School District	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Odyssey Community School District
High school in town	Windsor Locks High School	Manchester High School
Students per teacherat that high school	8.9Lowest	11.1Highest
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.