Compare towns
Killingly vs Northampton vs Plainfield vs Sterling
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Northampton has the most people working from home (24.1%).
Plainfield has the youngest population (median age 37).
Sterling has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | Killingly | Northampton | Plainfield | Sterling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 17,867 |
30,962Highest |
15,141 |
3,629Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
— | — |
| Median age | 39.5±3 about the U.S. average |
41.3±2.2Highest 6% above U.S. |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
39.4±5.9 about the U.S. average |
| Northampton and Killingly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.8%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
16%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
22.8%±5.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Sterling and Killingly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.7%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.4%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
13%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Northampton and Killingly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
62.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
18% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
14%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,350±$8k 4% above U.S. |
$80,288±$6k about the U.S. average |
$76,993±$8kLowest 5% below U.S. |
$102,695±$12kHighest 27% above U.S. |
| Sterling and Killingly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $288,600±$15k 13% below U.S. |
$429,700±$17kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$283,400±$17k 15% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,044±$141Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,439±$75Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,922Lowest 26% above U.S. |
$5,680Highest 82% above U.S. |
$4,209 35% above U.S. |
$4,551 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.8%±10.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.6%±6.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
32%±18.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Northampton and Killingly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
57.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
81.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 6% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 19% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.1%±2.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.6%±6.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #136 of 149 in CT | #159 of 282 in MA | #131 of 149 in CT | #119 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (EAS | Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural | Plainfield School District | Sterling School District |
| High school in town | Killingly High School | Northampton High | Plainfield High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1 |
14.7Highest |
10.3Lowest |
— |
| 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.



