What stands out worked out from the figures below

Plainfield has the most kids (23.4% under 18).

Thornton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).

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.

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

Measure	Plainfield	Thornton
People
Population	2,522Lowest	2,799Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+8.8%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	38.9±6.5Lowest 10% below NH	51.1±3.4Highest 18% above NH
Kids under 18	23.4%±5.8Highest NH: 18.2%	13.9%±4.6Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Plainfield and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.8%±4.5Highest NH: 20.1%	19%±4.9Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Plainfield and Thornton 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 NH: 40.6%	46.3%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.8%±2.3 NH: 6%	4.8%±2.9 NH: 6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$122,656±$13kHighest 24% above NH	$90,022±$17kLowest 9% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$442,400±$47kHighest 10% above NH	$351,900±$20kLowest 13% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,674±$181Highest 12% above NH	$1,270±$428Lowest 15% below NH
	Plainfield and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,904Highest 19% above NH	$5,032Lowest 25% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	31.8%±23.1Lowest NH: 48.2%	57.7%±24.7Highest NH: 48.2%
	Thornton and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Lowest NH: 7.2%	9.2%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.3%Lowest NH: 72.8%	88.3%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Lowest 2 yrs older than NH	1984Highest 5 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 18% below NH	23 minHighest 15% below NH
Work from home	18.1%±8.5Lowest NH: 16.8%	29.8%±9.7Highest NH: 16.8%
	Thornton and Plainfield 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	#18 of 120 in NH
School district	Plainfield School District	Thornton School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

NH 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.