What stands out worked out from the figures below

Thetford has the most affordable homes ($330k 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	Thetford	Plainville
People
Population	2,813Lowest	9,943Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+20.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.6±6.2Highest 12% above U.S.	43.2±3.6Lowest 11% above U.S.
	Thetford and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	15.4%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.3%±4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Plainville and Thetford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.8%±6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Plainville and Thetford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	68%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	44.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.7%±4.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Thetford and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$88,045±$16kLowest 9% above U.S.	$104,106±$13kHighest 29% above U.S.
	Plainville and Thetford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$329,500±$96kLowest about the U.S. average	$476,000±$35kHighest 43% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,141±$96Lowest 19% below U.S.	$1,977±$197Highest 40% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,948Highest 123% above U.S.	$5,329Lowest 71% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.7%±30.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	53.8%±13.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Plainville and Thetford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	70.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978 2 yrs older than U.S.	1978 2 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.	29 minHighest 10% above U.S.
Work from home	13.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.9%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Plainville and Thetford 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	#40 of 70 in VT	#102 of 282 in MA
School district	Thetford 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.