Compare towns
Foster vs Pascoag 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
Foster has the most people working from home (17.7%).
Pascoag has the highest household income ($121k).
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 | Foster | Pascoag | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,523 |
4,410Lowest |
15,141Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 47.1±3Highest 21% above U.S. |
39.1±3.7 about the U.S. average |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.7%±6.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Pascoag and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
21%±5.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Pascoag and Foster 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% |
26.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainfield and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,646±$18k 41% above U.S. |
$121,369±$34kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$76,993±$8kLowest 5% below U.S. |
| Pascoag and Foster 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. |
$365,000±$47k 10% above U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Foster and Pascoag are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,509±$556Highest 7% above U.S. |
$1,319±$444 7% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Foster and Pascoag 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. |
$4,395 41% above U.S. |
$4,209Lowest 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.8%±25.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
36.1%±27.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Foster and Plainfield 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% |
11.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 26% above U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 17.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Foster 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 | #22 of 38 in RI | — | #131 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Foster | — | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Plainfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 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.