Compare towns
Plainfield vs Marshfield vs Brookfield
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 shortest commute (24 min average).
Marshfield has the most affordable homes ($214k median).
Brookfield has the highest household income ($99k).
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 | Marshfield | Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,314Lowest |
1,863Highest |
1,486 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.6% VT: +2.8% |
-0.3%Highest VT: +2.8% |
-3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 48.1±5.5Highest 12% above VT |
38.7±6.1Lowest 10% below VT |
47±5.9 9% above VT |
| Plainfield and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.3%±4.7Lowest VT: 17.9% |
24.2%±2.9Highest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±4.1 VT: 17.9% |
| Marshfield and Brookfield 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% |
17.8%±2.1Lowest VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield 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%Highest VT: 43.8% |
38.5%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
45.3% VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
2.7%±1.4 VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4Highest VT: 7% |
| Brookfield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,250±$31k 15% below VT |
$60,313±$10kLowest 26% below VT |
$98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $318,400±$34k about the VT average |
$214,100±$37kLowest 32% below VT |
$339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,153±$103 7% below VT |
$1,317±$126Highest 7% above VT |
$975±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
| Marshfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,806Highest 5% below VT |
$3,668Lowest 27% below VT |
$4,560 10% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
65.7%±73.8 VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Marshfield 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% |
9.2% VT: 10.1% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.9%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
84.7% VT: 73.2% |
87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
1972 4 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest about the VT average |
29 min 23% above VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
| Work from home | 16.4%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
24.5%±7.5 VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | — | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.