Compare towns
Brookfield vs Durham vs Williston 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
Brookfield has the most people working from home (27.3%).
Durham has the youngest population (median age 20.8).
Williston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.2%).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($318k median).
Durham is a college town. 55.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Durham | Williston | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,486 |
15,080Highest |
10,144 |
1,314Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+16.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47±5.9 21% above U.S. |
20.8±0.3Lowest 47% below U.S. |
45.4±4.5 17% above U.S. |
48.1±5.5Highest 24% above U.S. |
| Plainfield and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±4.1 U.S.: 22% |
10.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Williston and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
11.5%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.1%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
75.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
55.1%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±2.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $98,500±$23k 22% above U.S. |
$124,056±$21kHighest 54% above U.S. |
$106,967±$12k 32% above U.S. |
$69,250±$31kLowest 14% below U.S. |
| Durham and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $339,300±$15k about the U.S. average |
$504,300±$41kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$475,800±$40k 43% above U.S. |
$318,400±$34kLowest 4% below U.S. |
| Durham and Williston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $975±$306Lowest 31% below U.S. |
$1,429±$143 about the U.S. average |
$1,832±$130Highest 30% above U.S. |
$1,153±$103 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,560Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$5,592 79% above U.S. |
$4,806 54% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±16 U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±17.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
73.2%±53.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Plainfield and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
15.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
20 min 25% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.4%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.3%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brookfield and Williston 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 | — | #9 of 120 in NH | #11 of 70 in VT | — |
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | Oyster River Coop School District | Champlain Valley Unified Union School District #56 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Oyster River High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.3 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 51 photos → | 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.