Compare towns
Plainfield vs Suffield vs Canterbury
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).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
Canterbury has the oldest population (median age 48.4).
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 | Suffield | Canterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,141 |
15,702Highest |
5,124Lowest |
| Median age | 37±4.5Lowest 10% below CT |
44.5±1.7 8% above CT |
48.4±4.5Highest 18% above CT |
| Canterbury and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.4%±2.6Highest CT: 20.2% |
16.2%±2 CT: 20.2% |
15%±3.5Lowest CT: 20.2% |
| Plainfield and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.6%±2.4Lowest CT: 18.5% |
18.4%±2.2 CT: 18.5% |
25.5%±4.4Highest CT: 18.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 15%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
40.4%Highest CT: 42.5% |
26.2% CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.8Highest CT: 7.1% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest CT: 7.1% |
4.4%±2Lowest CT: 7.1% |
| Plainfield and Suffield 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 20% below CT |
$119,472±$13kHighest 25% above CT |
$103,198±$6k 8% above CT |
| Suffield and Canterbury 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 |
$407,500±$26kHighest 11% above CT |
$334,200±$12k 9% below CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,204±$70 19% below CT |
$1,424±$141Highest 4% below CT |
$924±$367Lowest 38% below CT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,209 37% below CT |
$6,456Highest about the CT average |
$4,140Lowest 38% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.8%±9.5Lowest CT: 52.6% |
51%±4.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
40%±13 CT: 52.6% |
| Suffield and Canterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.7%Highest CT: 10% |
4.6%Lowest CT: 10% |
4.9% CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.6%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
86.7% CT: 66.5% |
88.7%Highest CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 4 yrs newer than CT |
1979Highest 12 yrs newer than CT |
1975 8 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the CT average |
26 minLowest 3% below CT |
32 minHighest 20% above CT |
| Work from home | 10%±4Lowest CT: 16% |
18.4%±4.1Highest CT: 16% |
14.7%±5.4 CT: 16% |
| Suffield and Canterbury 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 | #57 of 149 in CT | #125 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Plainfield School District | Suffield School District | Canterbury School District |
| High school in town | Plainfield High School | Suffield High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
10.9Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.

