Compare towns
New Braintree vs Ware vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
New Braintree has the most expensive homes ($409k median).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Plainfield has the youngest population (median age 37).
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 | New Braintree | Ware | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 973Lowest |
10,048 |
15,141Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 47.8±4.6Highest 23% above U.S. |
43.1±4.7 11% above U.S. |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| New Braintree and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
| New Braintree and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Braintree and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
24% U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainfield and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $99,500±$8kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$67,475±$15kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $408,800±$27kHighest 23% above U.S. |
$289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,484±$316Highest 5% above U.S. |
$1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
| New Braintree and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,508Highest 77% above U.S. |
$4,237 36% above U.S. |
$4,209Lowest 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.4%±51.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and New Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 39% above U.S. |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 7.4%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ware and Plainfield 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 | — | #267 of 282 in MA | #131 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Quabbin | Ware | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Plainfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.