Compare towns
Plainfield vs Northampton vs Putnam
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Plainfield has the most homeowners (73.6%).
Northampton has the most people working from home (24.1%).
Putnam has the oldest population (median age 43.7).
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 | Northampton | Putnam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,141 |
30,962Highest |
9,292Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
41.3±2.2 6% above U.S. |
43.7±3Highest 12% above U.S. |
| Putnam and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±2.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.6%±3.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.4%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.5%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Northampton and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
62.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
20% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
14%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
$80,288±$6kHighest about the U.S. average |
$70,561±$7kLowest 13% below U.S. |
| Northampton and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,100±$16k 18% below U.S. |
$429,700±$17kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
$1,439±$75Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$44Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,209 35% above U.S. |
$5,680Highest 82% above U.S. |
$3,860Lowest 24% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.8%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.6%±6.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 8.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
57.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
59.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
21 minLowest 19% below U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #131 of 149 in CT | #159 of 282 in MA | #128 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Plainfield School District | Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural | Putnam School District |
| High school in town | Plainfield High School | Northampton High | Putnam High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3 |
14.7Highest |
9.5Lowest |
| 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.