Compare towns
Brooklyn vs Gardner vs Plainville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brooklyn has the most homeowners (81.7%).
Gardner has the most people working from home (13.3%).
Plainville has the shortest commute (21 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 | Brooklyn | Gardner | Plainville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,517Lowest |
21,148Highest |
17,551 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +5.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 45.6±2.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
43.7±2.3Lowest 12% above U.S. |
44.3±1.5 14% above U.S. |
| Brooklyn and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.3%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Brooklyn and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Plainville and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
23.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
30%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainville and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,207±$15kHighest 19% above U.S. |
$67,518±$8kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$84,343±$7k 4% above U.S. |
| Brooklyn and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $315,200±$28kHighest 5% below U.S. |
$301,600±$20k 9% below U.S. |
$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Brooklyn and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$98 20% below U.S. |
$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S. |
$1,126±$147Highest 20% below U.S. |
| Plainville and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,538 45% above U.S. |
$4,150Lowest 33% above U.S. |
$4,798Highest 54% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.5%±19.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gardner and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
31 minHighest 16% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 20% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.3%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Gardner and Brooklyn 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 | #113 of 149 in CT | #273 of 282 in MA | #89 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Brooklyn School District | Gardner | Judicial Centers · Plainville School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Gardner High | Plainville High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.5Highest |
11.4Lowest |
| 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.