Compare towns
Plainfield vs Northampton vs Sterling
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 youngest population (median age 37).
Northampton has the most people working from home (24.1%).
Sterling has the highest household income ($103k).
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 | Sterling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,141 |
30,962Highest |
3,629Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
41.3±2.2Highest 6% above U.S. |
39.4±5.9 about the U.S. average |
| Northampton and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
16%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.8%±5.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Sterling and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.4%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Northampton and Plainfield 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% |
18% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
14%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $76,993±$8kLowest 5% below U.S. |
$80,288±$6k about the U.S. average |
$102,695±$12kHighest 27% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$429,700±$17kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$283,400±$17k 15% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,204±$70Lowest 15% below U.S. |
$1,439±$75Highest about the U.S. average |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,209Lowest 35% above U.S. |
$5,680Highest 82% above U.S. |
$4,551 46% 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% |
32%±18.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
57.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
21 minLowest 19% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
24.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.6%±6.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #131 of 149 in CT | #159 of 282 in MA | #119 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Plainfield School District | Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural | Sterling School District |
| High school in town | Plainfield High School | Northampton High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
14.7Highest |
— |
| 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.