Compare towns
Ashburnham vs Plainfield vs Berkley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ashburnham has the most people working from home (16%).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
Berkley has the most expensive homes ($511k 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 | Ashburnham | Plainfield | Berkley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,415Lowest |
15,141Highest |
6,829 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +5.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.7±6.3 5% above U.S. |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
43.4±4.1Highest 12% above U.S. |
| Berkley and Ashburnham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.2%±5.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Ashburnham and Berkley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.1%±4.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
15.2%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ashburnham and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $118,809±$11k 47% above U.S. |
$76,993±$8kLowest 5% below U.S. |
$144,205±$49kHighest 79% above U.S. |
| Berkley and Ashburnham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $390,700±$34k 17% above U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$511,200±$45kHighest 54% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,807±$1kHighest 28% above U.S. |
$1,204±$70Lowest 15% below U.S. |
— |
| Ashburnham and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,046Highest 94% above U.S. |
$4,209Lowest 35% above U.S. |
$6,018 93% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 100%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ashburnham and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 96% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
96.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 21% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
27 min 4% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 16%±7.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.1%±5.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ashburnham and Berkley 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 | #178 of 282 in MA | #131 of 149 in CT | #155 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Ashburnham-Westminster | Plainfield School District | Berkley |
| High school in town | None in town | Plainfield High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.3 |
— |
| 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.