Compare towns
Brookfield vs Plainfield vs Sheffield
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%).
Plainfield has the most renters (19.1% rent).
Sheffield has the most kids (34.7% under 18).
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 | Sheffield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486Highest |
1,314 |
190Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 47±5.9 9% above VT |
48.1±5.5Highest 12% above VT |
32.5±2.3Lowest 25% below VT |
| 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 VT: 17.9% |
16.3%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
34.7%±13.7Highest VT: 17.9% |
| Sheffield 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 VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.5 VT: 21.4% |
13.2%±14Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| 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% VT: 43.8% |
48.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
16.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4Highest VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
2.1%±5.8Lowest VT: 7% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield 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 |
$69,250±$31k 15% below VT |
$65,795±$12kLowest 19% 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 |
$318,400±$34k about the VT average |
$122,700±$70kLowest 61% below VT |
| 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 |
$1,153±$103 7% below VT |
$1,219±$563Highest about the VT average |
| Sheffield and Plainfield 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 |
$4,806Highest 5% below VT |
$1,714Lowest 66% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
36.4%±100 VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Sheffield 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% |
11.6%Highest VT: 10.1% |
8.9% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
85.3% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
1955 21 yrs older than VT |
1938Lowest 38 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 55% above VT |
24 min about the VT average |
21 minLowest 12% below VT |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4 VT: 16.9% |
8.6%±6.3Lowest 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 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.