Compare towns
Ware vs Whately vs Plainville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ware has the most kids (19.1% under 18).
Whately has the most people working from home (20.4%).
Plainville has the most affordable homes ($254k median).
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 | Ware | Whately | Plainville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,048 |
1,499Lowest |
17,551Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 43.1±4.7Lowest 11% above U.S. |
49.3±6.7Highest 27% above U.S. |
44.3±1.5 14% above U.S. |
| Whately and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.4%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Ware and Whately are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.5%±6.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Whately and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 24%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
47.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.5%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Plainville and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $67,475±$15kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$116,563±$15kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$84,343±$7k 4% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $289,700±$28k 13% below U.S. |
$431,500±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,043±$109 26% below U.S. |
$977±$125Lowest 31% below U.S. |
$1,126±$147Highest 20% below U.S. |
| Plainville and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,237Lowest 36% above U.S. |
$5,027Highest 61% above U.S. |
$4,798 54% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
26.7%±29Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1974Highest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
23 min 13% below U.S. |
21 minLowest 20% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.3%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.4%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Whately and Ware 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 | #267 of 282 in MA | — | #89 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Ware | Whately | Judicial Centers · Plainville School District |
| High school in town | Ware Junior/Senior High School | None in town | Plainville High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1Lowest |
— | 11.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.