Compare towns
Amherst Town vs Killingly vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amherst Town has the most people working from home (21%).
Killingly has the highest household income ($84k).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
Amherst Town is a college town. 59.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Amherst Town | Killingly | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 38,182Highest |
17,867 |
15,141Lowest |
| Median age | 21.4±0.2Lowest 45% below U.S. |
39.5±3Highest about the U.S. average |
37±4.5 5% below U.S. |
| Killingly and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 7.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.8%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Killingly and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 10.1%±1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Killingly and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 75.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 59.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,968±$7kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$84,350±$8kHighest 4% above U.S. |
$76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
| Killingly and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $484,900±$21kHighest 46% above U.S. |
$288,600±$15k 13% below U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,671±$93Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,044±$141Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,787Highest 182% above U.S. |
$3,922Lowest 26% above U.S. |
$4,209 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.1%±8.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
42.8%±10.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 23.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 44.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
71.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 32% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 21%±2.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.1%±2.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #58 of 282 in MA | #136 of 149 in CT | #131 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Amherst · Amherst-Pelham | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (EAS | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | Amherst Regional High | Killingly High School | Plainfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
11.1 |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.