Compare towns
Mashpee vs Plainfield vs Harwich
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mashpee has the most renters (18.1% rent).
Plainfield has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Harwich has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.8%).
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 | Mashpee | Plainfield | Harwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,384Highest |
616Lowest |
13,598 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.5% MA: +7.4% |
-2.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 55.9±1.8 40% above MA |
50.6±9.5Lowest 27% above MA |
58.6±1.5Highest 47% above MA |
| Harwich and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
19%±9.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
11.7%±2.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Plainfield and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.1%±2.9 MA: 17.9% |
29.5%±7.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
35.8%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Harwich and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
52.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
50.6% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Plainfield and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,299±$13k 8% below MA |
$63,500±$14kLowest 39% below MA |
$96,966±$13kHighest 7% below MA |
| Harwich and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $562,200±$29k about the MA average |
$309,000±$47kLowest 45% below MA |
$658,600±$26kHighest 17% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,776±$330 about the MA average |
$1,292±$558Lowest 27% below MA |
$2,017±$738Highest 14% above MA |
| Harwich and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,762Lowest 37% below MA |
$4,458Highest 26% below MA |
$4,189 30% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.7%±14.5 MA: 51.8% |
40%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
56.7%±24.4Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Harwich and Mashpee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.5% MA: 10% |
16.9%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
98%Highest MA: 62.5% |
84.8% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 24 yrs newer than MA |
1974Lowest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1976 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 6% below MA |
38 minHighest 30% above MA |
25 minLowest 14% below MA |
| Work from home | 14.5%±3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
26.2%±8.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.3%±4.4 MA: 18.6% |
| Plainfield and Harwich 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 | #100 of 282 in MA | — | #157 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Mashpee | — | Monomoy Regional School District · Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Mashpee Middle-High School | — | Monomoy Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.6Lowest |
— | 11.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 6 photos → |
MA 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.