What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chicopee has the most kids (19.2% under 18).

Plainville has the highest household income ($84k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Chicopee	Plainville
People
Population	55,295Highest	17,551Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.5% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	41.9±1.4Lowest 8% above U.S.	44.3±1.5Highest 14% above U.S.
	Plainville and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.2%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22%	15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Chicopee and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.5%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.1%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Plainville and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	30%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,615±$6kLowest 22% below U.S.	$84,343±$7kHighest 4% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$274,500±$8kHighest 17% below U.S.	$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S.
	Chicopee and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,157±$50Highest 18% below U.S.	$1,126±$147Lowest 20% below U.S.
	Chicopee and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,847Lowest 23% above U.S.	$4,798Highest 54% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52%±5.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	40.3%±12.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Chicopee and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	55.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	67.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S.	1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minHighest 19% below U.S.	21 minLowest 20% below U.S.
Work from home	8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	10.7%±2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Plainville and Chicopee 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	#247 of 282 in MA	#89 of 149 in CT
School district	Chicopee	Judicial Centers · Plainville School District
High school in town	Chicopee Comprehensive High School	Plainville High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.2Lowest	11.4Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.