Compare towns
Plainfield vs Royalston vs Upton 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 shortest commute (27 min average).
Royalston has the most homeowners (96%).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
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 | Royalston | Upton | Sterling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 15,141Highest |
1,460Lowest |
8,189 |
3,629 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
47.8±14.6Highest 23% above U.S. |
46.4±4.8 19% above U.S. |
39.4±5.9 about the U.S. average |
| Royalston and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.2%±10 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
22.8%±5.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Sterling 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% |
20.7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
18% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±3.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainfield and Royalston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $76,993±$8kLowest 5% below U.S. |
$102,109±$8k 26% above U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$102,695±$12k 27% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$346,300±$18k 4% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$283,400±$17k 15% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
$1,650±$412Highest 17% above U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
— |
| Royalston and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,209 35% above U.S. |
$3,196Lowest about the U.S. average |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$4,551 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.8%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
85.7%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31 U.S.: 51.1% |
32%±18.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Royalston and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
96%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
81.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
38 minHighest 45% above U.S. |
35 min 34% above U.S. |
35 min 34% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±4.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.6%±6.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Upton and Sterling 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 | #131 of 149 in CT | — | #46 of 282 in MA | #119 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Plainfield School District | Athol-Royalston | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Sterling School District |
| High school in town | Plainfield High School | None in town | Blackstone Valley | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
— | 11.2Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.