Compare towns
Plainfield vs Mansfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Plainfield has the most kids (19.4% under 18).
Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Mansfield is a college town. 57% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Plainfield | Mansfield |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 15,141Lowest |
25,358Highest |
| Median age | 37±4.5Highest 10% below CT |
21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT |
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±2.6Highest CT: 20.2% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2% |
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±2.4Highest CT: 18.5% |
11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
57.9%Highest CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.8Lowest CT: 7.1% |
57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $76,993±$8kHighest 20% below CT |
$72,393±$12kLowest 24% below CT |
| Plainfield and Mansfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,100±$16kLowest 26% below CT |
$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,204±$70Lowest 19% below CT |
$1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,209Lowest 37% below CT |
$5,727Highest 14% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.8%±9.5Lowest CT: 52.6% |
76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
| Below poverty line | 8.7%Lowest CT: 10% |
21.6%Highest CT: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.6%Highest CT: 66.5% |
57.3%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 4 yrs newer than CT |
1976Highest 9 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the CT average |
21 minLowest 22% below CT |
| Work from home | 10%±4Lowest CT: 16% |
28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #131 of 149 in CT | #45 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Plainfield School District | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District |
| High school in town | Plainfield High School | E. O. Smith High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
11.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.