Compare towns
Foster vs Chaplin vs Plainville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Foster has the most expensive homes ($425k median).
Chaplin has the most people working from home (18.1%).
Plainville has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | Foster | Chaplin | Plainville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,523 |
2,070Lowest |
17,551Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3% U.S.: +7.4% |
— | — |
| Median age | 47.1±3Highest 21% above U.S. |
43.7±4.8Lowest 12% above U.S. |
44.3±1.5 14% above U.S. |
| Foster and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Foster and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Chaplin and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
25.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
30% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
10.1%±6.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Chaplin and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,646±$18kHighest 41% above U.S. |
$97,846±$14k 21% above U.S. |
$84,343±$7kLowest 4% above U.S. |
| Foster and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $425,300±$30kHighest 28% above U.S. |
$255,200±$24k 23% below U.S. |
$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,509±$556Highest 7% above U.S. |
$1,473±$275 4% above U.S. |
$1,126±$147Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Foster and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,135Highest 129% above U.S. |
$4,524Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$4,798 54% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.8%±25.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
33.6%±27.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Foster and Plainville 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% |
5.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
67.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
32 min 23% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 20% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±10Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Chaplin and Foster 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 | #22 of 38 in RI | — | #89 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Foster | Chaplin School District · Regional School District 11 | Judicial Centers · Plainville School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Parish Hill High School | Plainville High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 7.5Lowest |
11.4Highest |
| 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.