Compare towns
Cornish vs Castleton vs Randolph 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
Cornish has the most homeowners (94.1%).
Castleton has the most affordable homes ($225k median).
Randolph has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.5%).
Plainfield has the most expensive homes ($442k 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 | Cornish | Castleton | Randolph | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
4,453Highest |
2,007 |
2,522 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
38.3±4.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
50.5±7.7 30% above U.S. |
38.9±6.5 about the U.S. average |
| Cornish and Randolph are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
18.8%±6.4 U.S.: 22% |
11%±5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Castleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.2%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornish and Randolph are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
42.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
46.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
19.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
7.3%±4.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$73,854±$23kLowest 9% below U.S. |
$75,069±$11k 7% below U.S. |
$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$224,800±$71kLowest 32% below U.S. |
$235,400±$25k 29% below U.S. |
$442,400±$47kHighest 33% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,137±$195 20% below U.S. |
$1,095±$198Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796 86% above U.S. |
$3,167Lowest about the U.S. average |
$4,507 45% above U.S. |
$7,904Highest 153% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
67.7%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
54.3%±20.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.8%±23.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castleton and Randolph are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
14.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79% U.S.: 65.2% |
53.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest same as U.S. |
1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1942Lowest 38 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 8% below U.S. |
19 min 27% below U.S. |
18 minLowest 32% below U.S. |
22 min 17% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.2%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.7%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainfield and Randolph 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 | — | #39 of 70 in VT | #55 of 70 in VT | #19 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Cornish School District | Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62 | — | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| 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.