Compare towns
Middlebury vs Plainville vs Suffield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middlebury has the most kids (22% under 18).
Plainville has the most affordable homes ($254k median).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
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 | Middlebury | Plainville | Suffield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,807Lowest |
17,551Highest |
15,702 |
| Median age | 44.4±2.3 8% above CT |
44.3±1.5Lowest 8% above CT |
44.5±1.7Highest 8% above CT |
| Suffield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22%±3.8Highest CT: 20.2% |
15.6%±2.3Lowest CT: 20.2% |
16.2%±2 CT: 20.2% |
| Middlebury and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±4.2Highest CT: 18.5% |
20.1%±2.8 CT: 18.5% |
18.4%±2.2Lowest CT: 18.5% |
| Middlebury and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.3%Highest CT: 42.5% |
30%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
40.4% CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±2.8 CT: 7.1% |
6.2%±1.6Highest CT: 7.1% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest CT: 7.1% |
| Plainville and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $133,487±$26kHighest 39% above CT |
$84,343±$7kLowest 12% below CT |
$119,472±$13k 25% above CT |
| Middlebury and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $476,400±$23kHighest 30% above CT |
$254,000±$14kLowest 31% below CT |
$407,500±$26k 11% above CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $398±$387Lowest 73% below CT |
$1,126±$147 24% below CT |
$1,424±$141Highest 4% below CT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,434Highest 27% above CT |
$4,798Lowest 28% below CT |
$6,456 about the CT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 12.7%±6.9Lowest CT: 52.6% |
40.3%±12.4 CT: 52.6% |
51%±4.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
| Suffield and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.8% CT: 10% |
6.5%Highest CT: 10% |
4.6%Lowest CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.8%Highest CT: 66.5% |
67.7%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
86.7% CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 9 yrs newer than CT |
1971Lowest 4 yrs newer than CT |
1979Highest 12 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below CT |
21 minLowest 20% below CT |
26 minHighest 3% below CT |
| Work from home | 15.3%±3.2 CT: 16% |
10.7%±2Lowest CT: 16% |
18.4%±4.1Highest CT: 16% |
| Suffield and Middlebury 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 | #55 of 149 in CT | #89 of 149 in CT | #57 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Regional School District 15 | Judicial Centers · Plainville School District | Suffield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Plainville High School | Suffield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.4Highest |
10.9Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
CT 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.