Compare towns
Watertown vs Plainville vs Suffield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Connecticut.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Watertown has the most kids (17.7% under 18).
Plainville has the most affordable homes ($254k median).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
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 | Watertown | Plainville | Suffield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,253Highest |
17,551 |
15,702Lowest |
| Median age | 46.3±2.9Highest 13% above CT |
44.3±1.5Lowest 8% above CT |
44.5±1.7 8% above CT |
| Watertown and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.7%±2.6Highest CT: 20.2% |
15.6%±2.3Lowest CT: 20.2% |
16.2%±2 CT: 20.2% |
| Watertown and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.3%±2.8Highest CT: 18.5% |
20.1%±2.8 CT: 18.5% |
18.4%±2.2Lowest CT: 18.5% |
| Watertown and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38.6% CT: 42.5% |
30%Lowest CT: 42.5% |
40.4%Highest CT: 42.5% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.4Lowest CT: 7.1% |
6.2%±1.6Highest CT: 7.1% |
4.4%±1.2 CT: 7.1% |
| Plainville and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,691±$7k 6% above CT |
$84,343±$7kLowest 12% below CT |
$119,472±$13kHighest 25% above CT |
| Suffield and Watertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $333,500±$16k 9% below CT |
$254,000±$14kLowest 31% below CT |
$407,500±$26kHighest 11% above CT |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,275±$227 14% below CT |
$1,126±$147Lowest 24% below CT |
$1,424±$141Highest 4% below CT |
| Suffield and Watertown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,014 9% below CT |
$4,798Lowest 28% below CT |
$6,456Highest about the CT average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 56.6%±13.3Highest CT: 52.6% |
40.3%±12.4Lowest CT: 52.6% |
51%±4.6 CT: 52.6% |
| Watertown and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.3%Lowest CT: 10% |
6.5%Highest CT: 10% |
4.6% CT: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.9% CT: 66.5% |
67.7%Lowest CT: 66.5% |
86.7%Highest CT: 66.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 2 yrs newer than CT |
1971 4 yrs newer than CT |
1979Highest 12 yrs newer than CT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 10% below CT |
21 minLowest 20% below CT |
26 minHighest 3% below CT |
| Work from home | 10.1%±2.3Lowest CT: 16% |
10.7%±2 CT: 16% |
18.4%±4.1Highest CT: 16% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #126 of 149 in CT | #89 of 149 in CT | #57 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Watertown School District | Judicial Centers · Plainville School District | Suffield School District |
| High school in town | Watertown High School | Plainville High School | Suffield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Lowest |
11.4Highest |
10.9 |
| 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.