Compare towns
Brookfield vs Plainfield vs Waltham
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 shortest commute (24 min average).
Waltham has the oldest population (median age 60.8).
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 | Waltham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,486Highest |
1,314 |
452Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
— |
| Median age | 47±5.9Lowest 9% above VT |
48.1±5.5 12% above VT |
60.8±7.3Highest 41% above VT |
| Waltham 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% |
16.3%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
12.8%±7.4Lowest 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% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
45.4%±3.1Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.3% VT: 43.8% |
48.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
39%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±2.4Highest VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
3.1%±2.1 VT: 7% |
| Brookfield and Waltham 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±$31kLowest 15% below VT |
$97,500±$14k 20% above VT |
| Brookfield and Waltham 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±$34kLowest about the VT average |
$329,700±$51k 4% above VT |
| Brookfield and Waltham 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±$103Highest 7% below VT |
$1,096±$113 11% below VT |
| Plainfield and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,560Lowest 10% below VT |
$4,806 5% below VT |
$5,714Highest 13% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±27.8 VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
29.2%±58.6Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.3% VT: 10.1% |
11.6%Highest VT: 10.1% |
5.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
86.3% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 1 yr older than VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1986Highest 10 yrs newer than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 55% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
28 min 18% above VT |
| Work from home | 27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
20.6%±5.7 VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Waltham 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.