Compare towns
Cornish vs Plainfield vs Waitsfield
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 affordable homes ($296k median).
Plainfield has the highest household income ($123k).
Waitsfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.3%).
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 | Plainfield | Waitsfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
2,522Highest |
1,918 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
38.9±6.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
44.3±5.3 14% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Waitsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±5.8 U.S.: 22% |
23.8%±5.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Waitsfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
28.2%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Waitsfield and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
46.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
63.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainfield and Waitsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$84,375±$34kLowest 5% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$442,400±$47kHighest 33% above U.S. |
$422,400±$92k 27% above U.S. |
| Plainfield and Waitsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,200±$821Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796Lowest 86% above U.S. |
$7,904Highest 153% above U.S. |
$6,208 99% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.8%±23.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.4%±30.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Waitsfield and Cornish 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% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest same as U.S. |
1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 8% below U.S. |
22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±8.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±6.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Waitsfield and Plainfield 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 | — | #19 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Cornish School District | Plainfield School District | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.