Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Manchester, CT

    Is Manchester a good place to live?

    Watch Manchester

    Manchester ranks #10 of 24 Connecticut cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (57/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 1.2% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $205,800
    +5.4% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,357
    per month
    Household income
    $76,780
    median
    Unemployment
    5.4%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Manchester

    The median home value in Manchester is $205,800 and median rent is $1,357 a month, against a median household income of $76,780. Homes cost about 2.7× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Manchester crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Connecticut the 2025 rate was 111 violent and 1,159 property crimes per 100,000 people — #46 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Manchester, CT

    Manchester has about 36,561 residents, 5.4% unemployment and 19% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Manchester with

    Manchester vs BridgeportManchester vs StamfordManchester vs New HavenManchester vs HartfordManchester vs WaterburyManchester vs NorwalkManchester vs DanburyManchester vs New Britain

    More: Where to move in Connecticut · Best counties in Connecticut

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report