Compare towns
Brookfield vs Charleston 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%).
Charleston has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.2%).
Plainfield has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Charleston | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486Highest |
936Lowest |
1,314 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.2%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6% VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47±5.9Lowest 9% above VT |
58.4±9.3Highest 35% above VT |
48.1±5.5 12% above VT |
| Charleston 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% |
11.2%±4.2Lowest 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% |
37.7%±8.6Highest VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Charleston 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% |
13.6%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
48.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
3.7%±2.3Highest VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Charleston 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 |
$49,286±$17kLowest 39% below VT |
$69,250±$31k 15% below VT |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
$238,000±$53kLowest 25% 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±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
$979±$444 21% below VT |
$1,153±$103Highest 7% below VT |
| Plainfield and Charleston 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 |
$3,750Lowest 26% below VT |
$4,806Highest 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
32.7%±26.4 VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Charleston 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% |
12.3%Highest VT: 10.1% |
11.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
87.1% VT: 73.2% |
80.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 1 yr older than VT |
1980Highest 4 yrs newer than VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 55% above VT |
26 min 12% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.7%±7.1 VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Charleston 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 | Charleston School District | — |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — |
| 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.