Compare towns
Amesbury vs Newburyport vs Plainville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amesbury has the most renters (31.4% rent).
Newburyport has the most people working from home (28.9%).
Plainville has the most affordable homes ($476k median).
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 | Newburyport | Plainville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 17,403 |
18,652Highest |
9,943Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+20.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±1.7 9% above MA |
49.8±2.9Highest 25% above MA |
43.2±3.6Lowest 8% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 20%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.9%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
18.3%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Amesbury and Newburyport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.4%±2.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
22.2%±3.8 MA: 17.9% |
| Newburyport and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% MA: 47.3% |
67%Highest MA: 47.3% |
44.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
3.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.3%±2.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Plainville and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $103,554±$12kLowest about the MA average |
$139,625±$21kHighest 34% above MA |
$104,106±$13k about the MA average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $519,300±$32k 8% below MA |
$834,000±$37kHighest 48% above MA |
$476,000±$35kLowest 15% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,683±$115 4% below MA |
$1,592±$221Lowest 10% below MA |
$1,977±$197Highest 12% above MA |
| Plainville and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,360 23% above MA |
$7,944Highest 33% above MA |
$5,329Lowest 11% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.7%±10.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.4%±9.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
53.8%±13.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Amesbury and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.1% MA: 10% |
5%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.4%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
77.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.4% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 5 yrs newer than MA |
1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
1978Highest 14 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest about the MA average |
32 minHighest 8% above MA |
29 minLowest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 17.4%±2.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
28.9%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.9%±4.7 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #151 of 282 in MA | #56 of 282 in MA | #102 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Amesbury | Newburyport | Plainville |
| High school in town | Amesbury High | Newburyport High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.9Highest |
10.3Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA 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.