Compare towns
Brookfield vs Plainfield vs Salisbury
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%).
Plainfield has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Salisbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.5%).
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 | Plainfield | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486 |
1,314Lowest |
9,281Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+11.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47±5.9Lowest 21% above U.S. |
48.1±5.5 24% above U.S. |
51.3±3.5Highest 32% above U.S. |
| Salisbury 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 U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
13.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.7%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Brookfield and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Salisbury 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 22% above U.S. |
$69,250±$31kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$93,361±$6k 16% above U.S. |
| Brookfield and Salisbury 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 |
$318,400±$34kLowest 4% below U.S. |
$478,700±$27kHighest 44% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $975±$306Lowest 31% below U.S. |
$1,153±$103 18% below U.S. |
$1,691±$411Highest 20% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,560Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$4,806Highest 54% above U.S. |
$4,604 48% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
73.2%±53.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.9%±11.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Plainfield and Salisbury 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% |
11.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
71.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 38% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.8%±5.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Brookfield and Salisbury 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 | — | — | #240 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — | Triton |
| High school in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.