What stands out worked out from the figures below

New Bedford has the most renters (59.7% rent).

Plainfield has the most people working from home (10%).

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	New Bedford	Plainfield
People
Population	100,998Highest	15,141Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.3% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	37±0.8 5% below U.S.	37±4.5 5% below U.S.
Kids under 18	23.9%±1.2Highest U.S.: 22%	19.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	15.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	16.6%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Plainfield and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	17%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.1%±0.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Plainfield and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$56,981±$3kLowest 29% below U.S.	$76,993±$8kHighest 5% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$357,300±$6kHighest 7% above U.S.	$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,137±$26Lowest 20% below U.S.	$1,204±$70Highest 15% below U.S.
	Plainfield and New Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,338Highest 39% above U.S.	$4,209Lowest 35% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	52.6%±3.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%	39.8%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	40.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.	1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest 6% below U.S.	27 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	5.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	10%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Plainfield and New Bedford 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	#263 of 282 in MA	#131 of 149 in CT
School district	New Bedford · Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical	Plainfield School District
High school in town	New Bedford High	Plainfield High School
Students per teacherat that high school	13.5Highest	10.3Lowest
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.