Compare towns
Brooklyn vs Orange vs Webster 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
Orange has the highest household income ($142k).
Webster has the most renters (40.2% rent).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
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 | Orange | Webster | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,517Lowest |
14,315 |
17,748Highest |
15,141 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | +6% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 45.6±2.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
45.6±2.4Highest 17% above U.S. |
39.9±2.9 about the U.S. average |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±4.6 U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Orange and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
23%±2.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Orange and Webster 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% |
59.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
25.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.5%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.8%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Webster and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $96,207±$15k 19% above U.S. |
$142,325±$10kHighest 76% above U.S. |
$72,895±$6kLowest 10% below U.S. |
$76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $315,200±$28k 5% below U.S. |
$491,500±$17kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$361,500±$12k 9% above U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$98Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$2,172±$161Highest 54% above U.S. |
$1,228±$81 13% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,538 45% above U.S. |
$8,988Highest 188% above U.S. |
$3,999Lowest 28% above U.S. |
$4,209 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 38.5%±19.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
64%±12.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.7%±6.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Orange and Webster 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% |
3.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
12.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
59.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1964 16 yrs older than U.S. |
1962Lowest 18 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 |
28 min 4% above U.S. |
31 minHighest 16% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.7%±5.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.6%±2.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Orange 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 | #38 of 149 in CT | #271 of 282 in MA | #131 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Brooklyn School District | Orange School District · Regional School District 05 | Webster | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Bartlett High School | Plainfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.6Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.