What stands out worked out from the figures below

Plainfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4%).

Orrington has the most affordable homes ($309k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Plainfield	Orrington
People
Population	2,522Lowest	3,853Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	38.9±6.5Lowest about the U.S. average	49.5±3.3Highest 27% above U.S.
Kids under 18	23.4%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22%	16.4%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Plainfield and Orrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.8%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	23.8%±5.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Orrington and Plainfield 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%	44.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.8%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Plainfield and Orrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$122,656±$13kHighest 52% above U.S.	$94,556±$10kLowest 17% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$442,400±$47kHighest 33% above U.S.	$309,000±$49kLowest 7% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,674±$181Highest 18% above U.S.	$1,167±$135Lowest 17% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,904Highest 153% above U.S.	$2,823Lowest 9% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	31.8%±23.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	11.9%±20.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Plainfield and Orrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	88.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S.	1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minHighest 17% below U.S.	21 minLowest 19% below U.S.
Work from home	18.1%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	11.4%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Plainfield and Orrington 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	#41 of 133 in ME
School district	Plainfield School District	Orrington Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.