Manchester, Connecticut town hall · Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
A town of about 36,759 people in Hartford County, part of the Hartford area. Resident comments and photos are about Manchester; job numbers cover the wider area.
The Hartford area:College town · College teaching jobs 2.2x the U.S. share
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Manchester scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Outdoorsy
100 / 100
Outdoorsy: more trails, campgrounds and paddling spots than most
Historic
96 / 100
185 places on the National Register of Historic Places nearby
Big-city feel
76 / 100
Big-city feel: 1.2 million people in the metro, 11 buildings 20+ stories, 69 bus and train stops
Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Of about 6,851 rented homes in Manchester, 91% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 23%
$1,000 to $1,499: 41%
$1,500 to $1,999: 27%
$2,000 to $2,499: 7%
$2,500 to $2,999: 0%
$3,000 or more: 1%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in Manchester rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Connecticut: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Connecticut DMV.
Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Schools and childcare
Schools
Public Public charter Private County line
District and county lines: U.S. Census Bureau. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
School choice and pre-K in Connecticut
Going to school in another district
Some districts must accept students from other districts (for example, from struggling schools), and others choose whether to. Ask the district you'd like.
Picking a different school in your district
State law lets each district decide whether families can pick a different school within the district.
Free state pre-K
16% of 4-year-olds and 14% of 3-year-olds in Connecticut attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
Connecticut keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$330/week
about $17,200 a year
$240/week
about $12,500 a year
Toddler (2)
$330/week
about $17,200 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$250/week
about $13,000 a year
$230/week
about $12,000 a year
School-age
$120/week
about $6,200 a year
For an infant at a center: $330/week here, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 20% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 3,271 students · $67,016 a year
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Typical home value
$398,703
What a typical home sells for across the Hartford area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Cost of living
About 3% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $103 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 102.7 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 16 min at rush hour
To downtown Hartford, CT, 10 miles. About 15 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
24 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
1 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 5.9 miles from the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $1,905 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in CT. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Hospitals nearby
1 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
null per 100,000 people a year
232 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. CT average: 21.8 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
Unemployment
4%
The share of people looking for work who can't find it, averaged over the year. U.S.: about 4%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
State income tax
Graduated, up to 6.99%
CT's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
