Compare towns
Athol vs Plainfield vs Palmer Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Athol has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.1%).
Plainfield has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Palmer Town has the highest household income ($78k).
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 | Athol | Plainfield | Palmer Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 12,011 |
616Lowest |
12,381Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-2.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+2.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.9Lowest 3% above MA |
50.6±9.5Highest 27% above MA |
47.8±5.6 20% above MA |
| Plainfield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.8%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
19%±9.3 MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±3.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Athol and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.3%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
29.5%±7.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Plainfield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
52.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
23.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Plainfield and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,316±$5k 33% below MA |
$63,500±$14kLowest 39% below MA |
$78,480±$8kHighest 25% below MA |
| Palmer Town and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $268,100±$13kLowest 52% below MA |
$309,000±$47kHighest 45% below MA |
$271,400±$21k 52% below MA |
| Plainfield and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,150±$182 35% below MA |
$1,292±$558Highest 27% below MA |
$1,075±$103Lowest 39% below MA |
| Plainfield and Athol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,403Lowest 43% below MA |
$4,458 26% below MA |
$4,540Highest 24% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.5%±17.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
40%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.9%±10.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Athol and Palmer Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.3% MA: 10% |
16.9%Highest MA: 10% |
8.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.4% MA: 62.5% |
98%Highest MA: 62.5% |
71.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1953Lowest 11 yrs older than MA |
1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 8% below MA |
38 minHighest 30% above MA |
31 min 8% above MA |
| Work from home | 10.6%±3.3 MA: 18.6% |
26.2%±8.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
7.3%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #256 of 282 in MA | — | #252 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Athol-Royalston | — | Palmer · Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Athol High | — | Pathfinder Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.6Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.