Compare towns
Plainfield vs Calais vs Middlebury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($318k median).
Calais has the most kids (22.5% under 18).
Middlebury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Middlebury is a college town. 32.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Calais | Middlebury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,314Lowest |
1,713 |
9,175Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.6%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
+3.4% VT: +2.8% |
+7.7%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 48.1±5.5Highest 12% above VT |
42±8.6 about the VT average |
31.8±3.7Lowest 26% below VT |
| Plainfield and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.3%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
22.5%±5.4Highest VT: 17.9% |
11.6%±1.9Lowest VT: 17.9% |
| Calais and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±3.5 VT: 21.4% |
21.6%±5.2Highest VT: 21.4% |
20.7%±2.6Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Calais and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 48.2%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
55.4%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
7.4%±3.4 VT: 7% |
32.6%±1.1Highest VT: 7% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,250±$31kLowest 15% below VT |
$100,625±$27kHighest 24% above VT |
$86,169±$16k 6% above VT |
| Calais and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $318,400±$34kLowest about the VT average |
$390,300±$36k 23% above VT |
$409,700±$30kHighest 29% above VT |
| Middlebury and Calais are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,153±$103Lowest 7% below VT |
$1,408±$392Highest 14% above VT |
$1,156±$113 6% below VT |
| Calais and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,806Lowest 5% below VT |
$6,586 31% above VT |
$6,868Highest 36% above VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
49%±38.3Lowest VT: 48.4% |
50.9%±14.4 VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Middlebury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.6%Highest VT: 10.1% |
8.8%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
10.7% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.9% VT: 73.2% |
92.4%Highest VT: 73.2% |
65.1%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
1976Highest same as VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min about the VT average |
31 minHighest 32% above VT |
16 minLowest 33% below VT |
| Work from home | 16.4%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
23.4%±7.1Highest VT: 16.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 16.9% |
| Calais and Middlebury 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 | — | — | #17 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Washington Central Unified Union School District #92 | Patricia Hannaford Career Center · Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Middlebury Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.6 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
VT 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.