Compare towns
Guilford vs Cornish vs Plainfield vs Sharon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Guilford has the most people working from home (16.7%).
Cornish has the most homeowners (94.1%).
Plainfield has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Sharon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).
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 | Guilford | Cornish | Plainfield | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,461Highest |
1,816 |
1,314Lowest |
1,577 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | 0% U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.7±5.2 20% above U.S. |
54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
48.1±5.5 24% above U.S. |
45.6±7.7Lowest 17% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.5%±4.9 U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
21%±5Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Sharon and Guilford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.6%±4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.1%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Guilford and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.5%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Guilford and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $75,243±$6k 7% below U.S. |
$91,821±$2kHighest 14% above U.S. |
$69,250±$31kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$84,375±$17k 5% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $312,600±$39k 6% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$318,400±$34k 4% below U.S. |
$346,700±$37kHighest 4% above U.S. |
| Sharon and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,283±$273 9% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,153±$103Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,386±$155Highest about the U.S. average |
| Sharon and Guilford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,827 87% above U.S. |
$5,796 86% above U.S. |
$4,806Lowest 54% above U.S. |
$5,903Highest 89% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±19.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
73.2%±53.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
19.8%±17.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Plainfield and Guilford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 16.7%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16.4%±4.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.7%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Guilford and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Cornish School District | — | Sharon 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.