Compare towns
Putnam vs Ashburnham vs Plainfield vs Killingly
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Putnam has the most renters (40.2% rent).
Ashburnham has the most people working from home (16%).
Plainfield has the youngest population (median age 37).
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 | Putnam | Ashburnham | Plainfield | Killingly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,292 |
6,415Lowest |
15,141 |
17,867Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +3.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
— | — |
| Median age | 43.7±3Highest 12% above U.S. |
40.7±6.3 5% above U.S. |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
39.5±3 about the U.S. average |
| Putnam and Ashburnham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.6%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.6%±6Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
19.8%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Ashburnham and Killingly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.1%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Killingly and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20% U.S.: 35.7% |
44%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $70,561±$7kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$118,809±$11kHighest 47% above U.S. |
$76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
$84,350±$8k 4% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S. |
$390,700±$34kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$272,100±$16k 18% below U.S. |
$288,600±$15k 13% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,149±$44 19% below U.S. |
$1,807±$1kHighest 28% above U.S. |
$1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
$1,044±$141Lowest 26% below U.S. |
| Ashburnham and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,860Lowest 24% above U.S. |
$6,046Highest 94% above U.S. |
$4,209 35% above U.S. |
$3,922 26% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
100%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
42.8%±10.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ashburnham and Killingly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 11.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
96%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
71.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 21% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
28 min 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
16%±7.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
11.1%±2.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ashburnham and Killingly 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 | #128 of 149 in CT | #178 of 282 in MA | #131 of 149 in CT | #136 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Putnam School District | Ashburnham-Westminster | Plainfield School District | Connecticut Technical Education and Career System · Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (EAS |
| High school in town | Putnam High School | None in town | Plainfield High School | Killingly High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.5Lowest |
— | 10.3 |
11.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.