Moving to
Manchester.

All Manchester data Compare Manchester

36,759people live here $74,267median household incomeNear US average $1,384median rent per monthNear US average $223,400median home value▼ 33% below US

Manchester is an unincorporated community in the county, CT. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Manchester

Manchester is an unincorporated community in Connecticut with home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Manchester deals with a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Affordable home prices
Low crime rates
Short commutes
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

High rent burden for renters
Cold winters
Snowy winters — 52" per year
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Manchester compares

Median household income

Manchester$74,267

Connecticut avg$95,781

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Manchester$1,384

Connecticut avg$1,488

US$1,413

Median home value

Manchester$223,400

Connecticut avg$366,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Manchester

Based on Manchester's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,768

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,360 a year
54% of Manchester renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$44,680

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $22,340
Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,384/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,384 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $223,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.

Median home value $223,400 · 54% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.1% county unemployment

Unemployment in Capitol Planning Region is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Capitol Planning Region (county-wide)

Safety▼ 64% below US

118 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1850/100k · Manchester Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 12% below US

23 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

76%

Work from home

9.9%

Carpool

8.9%

Public transit

3.0%

Walk

1.9%

Other

0.8%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▼ 13% below US

32% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

9 public schools inside the boundary

There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Springfield Armory National Historic Site (23 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Manchester's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,384/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime.

See all the data for Manchester →·All Connecticut cities →