Compare towns
Sterling vs Mansfield vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sterling has the highest household income ($103k).
Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
Mansfield is a college town. 57% 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 | Sterling | Mansfield | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,629Lowest |
25,358Highest |
15,141 |
| Median age | 39.4±5.9Highest 4% below CT |
21.2±0.2Lowest 48% below CT |
37±4.5 10% below CT |
| Sterling and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.8%±5.9Highest CT: 20.2% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest CT: 20.2% |
19.4%±2.6 CT: 20.2% |
| Sterling and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13%±3.8 CT: 18.5% |
11%±1.5Lowest CT: 18.5% |
16.6%±2.4Highest CT: 18.5% |
| Plainfield and Sterling are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 18% CT: 42.5% |
57.9%Highest CT: 42.5% |
15%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±1.9Lowest CT: 7.1% |
57%±2.5Highest CT: 7.1% |
5.6%±1.8 CT: 7.1% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $102,695±$12kHighest 7% above CT |
$72,393±$12kLowest 24% below CT |
$76,993±$8k 20% below CT |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $283,400±$17k 23% below CT |
$335,400±$20kHighest 9% below CT |
$272,100±$16kLowest 26% below CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,602±$104Highest 8% above CT |
$1,204±$70Lowest 19% below CT |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,551 31% below CT |
$5,727Highest 14% below CT |
$4,209Lowest 37% below CT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±18.1Lowest CT: 52.6% |
76%±9.6Highest CT: 52.6% |
39.8%±9.5 CT: 52.6% |
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Lowest CT: 10% |
21.6%Highest CT: 10% |
8.7% CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.1%Highest CT: 66.5% |
57.3%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
73.6% CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 21 yrs newer than CT |
1976 9 yrs newer than CT |
1971Lowest 4 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 34% above CT |
21 minLowest 22% below CT |
27 min about the CT average |
| Work from home | 11.6%±6.4 CT: 16% |
28.3%±3.3Highest CT: 16% |
10%±4Lowest CT: 16% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #119 of 149 in CT | #45 of 149 in CT | #131 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Sterling School District | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | None in town | E. O. Smith High School | Plainfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.8Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
CT 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.