Compare towns
Amesbury vs Gray vs Plainville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amesbury has the most expensive homes ($519k median).
Gray has the most affordable homes ($364k median).
Plainville has the most people working from home (17.9%).
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.
| Measure | Amesbury | Gray | Plainville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,403Highest |
8,429Lowest |
9,943 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +6.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+20.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±1.7Highest 12% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
43.2±3.6Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| Amesbury and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
18.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Amesbury and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Plainville and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $103,554±$12k 28% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8kLowest 18% above U.S. |
$104,106±$13kHighest 29% above U.S. |
| Plainville and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $519,300±$32kHighest 56% above U.S. |
$363,700±$20kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$476,000±$35k 43% above U.S. |
| Amesbury and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,683±$115 19% above U.S. |
$1,371±$89Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,977±$197Highest 40% above U.S. |
| Plainville and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,360Highest 136% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$5,329 71% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.7%±10.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24 U.S.: 51.1% |
53.8%±13.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Amesbury and Gray are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 10% above U.S. |
29 minLowest 8% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 10% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.4%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainville and Amesbury 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 | #151 of 282 in MA | #10 of 133 in ME | #102 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Amesbury | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Plainville |
| High school in town | Amesbury High | Gray-New Gloucester High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Lowest |
12.5Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.