What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sharon has the most affordable homes ($347k median).

Plainville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20.3%).

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	Sharon	Plainville
People
Population	1,577Lowest	9,943Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+20.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.6±7.7Highest 17% above U.S.	43.2±3.6Lowest 11% above U.S.
	Sharon and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21%±5Highest U.S.: 22%	18.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Sharon and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.1%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%	22.2%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Sharon and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	44.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.3%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Plainville and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$84,375±$17kLowest 5% above U.S.	$104,106±$13kHighest 29% above U.S.
	Plainville and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$346,700±$37kLowest 4% above U.S.	$476,000±$35kHighest 43% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,386±$155Lowest about the U.S. average	$1,977±$197Highest 40% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,903Highest 89% above U.S.	$5,329Lowest 71% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	19.8%±17.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	53.8%±13.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	70.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.	1978Lowest 2 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest about the U.S. average	29 minHighest 10% above U.S.
Work from home	12.7%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Plainville and Sharon 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	—	#102 of 282 in MA
School district	Sharon School District	Plainville
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.