Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,601, incorporated in 1727. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Willington grades C+ overall, 112th of 151 graded towns in Connecticut, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $91K and residents are healthier than 77% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $400K for a typical one and 4.2 times the Hartford metro’s $95K median household income. Only 2 of Connecticut’s 175 towns score lower on walkability. Its National Register listings include Willington Common Historic District and South Willington Historic District. Only 5 of the 155 Connecticut towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Willington.
Where Willington beats most towns.
Willington Common Historic District| Widest gap | Willington | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.2% | 10% |
Census counts: 1,246 in 1820, a low of 885 in 1900, 5,566 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1892 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Connecticut), ordered by how far Willington is from typical.
Its best grade is an A for history (incorporated 1727; 2 places on the National Register; 4 notable people born here), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its C+ comes from the livability subjects above.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Willington, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Willington.
Willington is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Connecticut; it also has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Within Connecticut it is less healthy than 73% of the 154 graded towns: Connecticut sets a high bar.
17% of adults report frequent mental distress in Willington, where Connecticut’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 17%. The share of adults in Willington who have high blood pressure: 32%.
| Willington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 9.7% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 35% |
| What stands out | Willington | CT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.2% | 10% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.1% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The public schools here belong to the Willington School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The 2 public schools in Willington teach 372 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 205 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CT on state tests and graduation
Among residents in Willington, 13% live below the poverty line. Just 8% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Jobs based in Willington grew to 1,798 in 2023, 316 more than in 2013. Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles.
| Willington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 11% | 16% | 11% |
| Median household income | $91,000 | $109,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest place to walk is Nipmuck State Forest, 803 acres with 1.5 miles of trail. Walkers can cover 35 miles of trail in 33 parks and preserves. Willington’s concentration of trails stands at 1.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. UConn Forest Moss Tract | 5.7 mi | 438 |
| 2. Fenton–Ruby Park and Wildlife Preserve | 4.9 mi | 337 |
| 3. Nipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary | 2.3 mi | 469 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (39% statewide). Willington’s age of the median resident is 37.5 years, below both Connecticut’s towns (44.4 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). For adults 25 and older locally, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 33%.
| Willington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.5 years | 44.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 45% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.6 points. Across Connecticut, 50.9% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 62% are men (CT 41%).
| Willington | CT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.6% | 9.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 16.7% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.2% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.6% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 14.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.7% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 8.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.6% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.8% | 16.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.5% | 7.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.4% | 23.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.9% | 19.2% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
In Willington, the peak summer temperature is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
70% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 52.6% across Connecticut.
In Willington, 64% of households are owner-occupiers. Typical home values rose 9.9% in the year to September 2026. Its median rent comes in at $1,357 a month.
| Willington | Connecticut towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,357 a month | $1,451 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Since 1994, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Willington. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 53% of U.S. communities.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Willington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
22 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
21 mi Theme parkSix Flags New England
24 mi Stadium & arenaPeoplesBank Arena
21 mi Stadium & arenaPratt & Whitney Stadium
32 mi LakeQuabbin ReservoirLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain · PeoplesBank Arena: PeoplesBank Arena, CC BY 2.5 · Pratt & Whitney Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Willington
College town 15 of every 100 Willington residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Connecticut.
Where Willington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Willington on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Willington.
Town in Connecticut, United States
Willington is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 5,566 at the 2020 census. The Willimantic River borders the town on the west. Willington is approximately 25 miles northeast of Hartford on Interstate 84, which also provides a connection to Boston, via the Massachusetts Turnpike. Providence, RI is accessible via U.S. Route 44. Larger communities nearby include Coventry, Stafford, Tolland, and Willimantic. The University of Connecticut is located in adjacent Mansfield. A new public library (formerly located within Hall Memorial School) opened in autumn 2006.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Willington.
| Town | CT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willington | #112 | C+ | C | — | B− | A− |
| Tolland | #56 | B+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Stafford | #107 | C+ | B− | — | C+ | A− |
| Crystal Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ellington | #59 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A |
| Ashford | #113 | C+ | C | — | B− | A− |
| Mansfield | – | A | C− | — | A− | A− |
| Stafford Springs | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Willington, Tolland, Stafford, Ellington, Ashford and Mansfield report no FBI crime data of their own. Crystal Lake and Stafford Springs aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Willington with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Willington grades C+ overall, better than 41% of U.S. towns and #112 of 151 in Connecticut. It grades A− for health and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
4 notable people were born here, including Elias Loomis and Jared Sparks.
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