Compare towns
Plainfield vs Gray vs Sutton vs Cornish
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 people working from home (18.1%).
Gray has the most renters (17.6% rent).
Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Cornish has the most affordable homes ($296k median).
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 | Gray | Sutton | Cornish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,522 |
8,429Highest |
2,239 |
1,816Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.9±6.5Lowest about the U.S. average |
43.4±4.5 12% above U.S. |
48.1±4.1 24% above U.S. |
54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Plainfield and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.8%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.6%±5.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cornish and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.8%±2.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±3.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $122,656±$13k 52% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8k 18% above U.S. |
$130,313±$31kHighest 61% above U.S. |
$91,821±$2kLowest 14% above U.S. |
| Sutton and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $442,400±$47kHighest 33% above U.S. |
$363,700±$20k 9% above U.S. |
$362,600±$16k 9% above U.S. |
$296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S. |
$1,371±$89 about the U.S. average |
$1,656±$614 17% above U.S. |
$1,221±$227Lowest 14% below U.S. |
| Plainfield and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,904Highest 153% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$7,652 145% above U.S. |
$5,796 86% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 31.8%±23.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
95.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 17% below U.S. |
29 min 8% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.1%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Plainfield and Sutton 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 | #19 of 120 in NH | #10 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Plainfield School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Kearsarge Regional School District | Cornish School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Kearsarge Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.5Highest |
10.4Lowest |
— |
| 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.