Compare towns
Brookfield vs Bridgewater vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Bridgewater has the most affordable homes ($218k median).
Plainfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.6%).
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 | Brookfield | Bridgewater | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486Highest |
980Lowest |
1,314 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-3.5% VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47±5.9Lowest 9% above VT |
57.1±8Highest 32% above VT |
48.1±5.5 12% above VT |
| Bridgewater and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
12.8%±5.8Lowest VT: 17.9% |
16.3%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±6.4 VT: 21.4% |
30.2%±0.7Highest VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Bridgewater and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.3% VT: 43.8% |
40.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
5.8%±3.8Highest VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Bridgewater and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$70,272±$3k 13% below VT |
$69,250±$31kLowest 15% below VT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
$218,300±$55kLowest 31% below VT |
$318,400±$34k about the VT average |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $975±$306 21% below VT |
$850±$778Lowest 31% below VT |
$1,153±$103Highest 7% below VT |
| Plainfield and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,560 10% below VT |
$3,418Lowest 32% below VT |
$4,806Highest 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
59.7%±39.1 VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
14.8%Highest VT: 10.1% |
11.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
85.4% VT: 73.2% |
80.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 1 yr older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 55% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
10.5%±6.6Lowest VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — | — |
| High school in town | None in town | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.