What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hadley has the most expensive homes ($511k median).

Plainville has the most affordable homes ($254k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Hadley	Plainville
People
Population	5,306Lowest	17,551Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.4% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	45.8±7.1Highest 18% above U.S.	44.3±1.5Lowest 14% above U.S.
	Hadley and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.2%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%	15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hadley and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.2%±4.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hadley and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	61.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	10.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hadley and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$119,259±$12kHighest 48% above U.S.	$84,343±$7kLowest 4% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$511,000±$43kHighest 54% above U.S.	$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,402±$132Highest about the U.S. average	$1,126±$147Lowest 20% below U.S.
	Hadley and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,271Highest 69% above U.S.	$4,798Lowest 54% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	38.6%±18.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	40.3%±12.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Plainville and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	73.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	67.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971 9 yrs older than U.S.	1971 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 26% below U.S.	21 minHighest 20% below U.S.
Work from home	20.1%±7.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	10.7%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#116 of 282 in MA	#89 of 149 in CT
School district	Hadley	Judicial Centers · Plainville School District
High school in town	Hopkins Academy	Plainville High School
Students per teacherat that high school	7.3Lowest	11.4Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.