Compare towns
Barre vs Marshfield vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barre has the most renters (49.6% rent).
Marshfield has the most people working from home (24.5%).
Plainfield has the most expensive homes ($318k 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 | Barre | Marshfield | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,412Highest |
1,863 |
1,314Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.2%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.3%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 42.2±6.6 about the VT average |
38.7±6.1Lowest 10% below VT |
48.1±5.5Highest 12% above VT |
| Plainfield 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 VT: 17.9% |
24.2%±2.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
16.3%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±3.9 VT: 21.4% |
17.8%±2.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.5Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Plainfield and Barre 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 VT: 43.8% |
38.5% VT: 43.8% |
48.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.4%±1.9Highest VT: 7% |
2.7%±1.4 VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Barre and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $65,625±$7k 19% below VT |
$60,313±$10kLowest 26% below VT |
$69,250±$31kHighest 15% below VT |
| Plainfield and Barre are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $210,400±$15kLowest 34% below VT |
$214,100±$37k 32% below VT |
$318,400±$34kHighest about the VT average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,093±$58Lowest 11% below VT |
$1,317±$126Highest 7% above VT |
$1,153±$103 7% below VT |
| Marshfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,192Highest 3% above VT |
$3,668Lowest 27% below VT |
$4,806 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.4%±10.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
65.7%±73.8 VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
9.2%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
11.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.4%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
84.7%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 29 yrs older than VT |
1972Highest 4 yrs older than VT |
1955 21 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 21% below VT |
29 minHighest 23% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
| Work from home | 10.5%±4.1Lowest VT: 16.9% |
24.5%±7.5Highest VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Marshfield and Plainfield 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 | — | — |
| School district | Barre Unified Union School District #97 · Central Vermont Career Center | — | — |
| High school in town | Spaulding Union High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
VT 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.