Compare towns
Barre vs Cornish 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
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Cornish has the oldest population (median age 54).
Plainfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4%).
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 | Barre | Cornish | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
1,816Lowest |
2,522 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 8% above U.S. |
54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
38.9±6.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Cornish and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.5%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornish and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainfield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 37% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$442,400±$47kHighest 33% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Lowest 66% above U.S. |
$5,796 86% above U.S. |
$7,904Highest 153% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.8%±23.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Cornish and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
22 min 17% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainfield and Cornish 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 | #19 of 70 in VT | — | #19 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | Cornish School District | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— | — |
| 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.