Compare towns
Easthampton vs Northbridge 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
Easthampton has the most people working from home (19%).
Northbridge has the highest household income ($111k).
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 | Easthampton | Northbridge | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,086 |
16,458Highest |
15,141Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +4% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 46±2.6Highest 18% above U.S. |
43.8±2.6 13% above U.S. |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| Easthampton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.1%±2.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Northbridge and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.3%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Easthampton and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,673±$7kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$111,319±$19kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $371,500±$15k 12% above U.S. |
$448,600±$15kHighest 35% above U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$70Highest 9% below U.S. |
$1,207±$102 15% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Easthampton and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,932Highest 58% above U.S. |
$4,821 55% above U.S. |
$4,209Lowest 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±10.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.2%±9.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Northbridge and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 17% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 19%±3.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.2%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Easthampton and Northbridge 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 | #92 of 282 in MA | #226 of 282 in MA | #131 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Easthampton | Northbridge | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | Easthampton High | Northbridge High | Plainfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
10.8Highest |
10.3 |
| 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.