What stands out worked out from the figures below

Plainville has the most affordable homes ($254k median).

Oxford has the most people working from home (16.4%).

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	Plainville	Oxford
People
Population	17,551Highest	13,385Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	-2.6% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±1.5Highest 14% above U.S.	42±2.8Lowest 8% above U.S.
	Plainville and Oxford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Oxford and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.1%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.6%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Plainville and Oxford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	30%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	29.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.7%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Oxford and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$84,343±$7kLowest 4% above U.S.	$103,862±$10kHighest 29% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S.	$374,900±$18kHighest 13% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,126±$147Lowest 20% below U.S.	$1,177±$142Highest 17% below U.S.
	Oxford and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,798Highest 54% above U.S.	$4,622Lowest 48% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.3%±12.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	57.8%±15.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Oxford and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 20% below U.S.	28 minHighest 7% above U.S.
Work from home	10.7%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.4%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Oxford and Plainville 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	#89 of 149 in CT	#245 of 282 in MA
School district	Judicial Centers · Plainville School District	Oxford
High school in town	Plainville High School	Oxford High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.4Highest	10.3Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.