The Town FilesPlainville, Massachusetts
Town in Norfolk County · population 9,945 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $476,000
- Household income
- $104,106
- Jan low / Jul high
- 19° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 48 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 18
- Median age
- 43.2
Plainville is a town of 9,945 people in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $476,000, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks more vibrant than 80% of Massachusetts towns, better for first-time buyers than 74% of Massachusetts towns.
How Plainville ranks
Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Plainville is worth $476,000, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $104,106, which is more affordable than 49% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $1,977 a month. 70.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Plainville | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $476,000 | $510,150 |
| Median rent | $1,977 | $1,561 |
| Median household income | $104,106 | $108,622 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.6× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 70.4% | 80.7% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1968 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Plainville
| People | Plainville | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 22.2% | 20.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.4% | 45.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 6.3% |
| Veterans | 4.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.5% | — |
| Work from home | 17.9% | 17.7% |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 30.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.9% | 93.9% |
Weather in Plainville
July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 18.8°F. About 51.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 47.7 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 129 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainville since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 9, 1953 about 9.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 26, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 19 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 18, 2012.
Severe weather in Norfolk County since 1996
Norfolk County has been included in 38 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3599: Hurricane Lee |
| April 18, 2022 | Snowstorm | DR-4651: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| March 27, 2020 | Biological | DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3438: Covid-19 |
| July 19, 2018 | Snowstorm | DR-4379: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
Jobs and pay in Norfolk County
Norfolk County had 346,327 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $84,497 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Plainville itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.
Public schools in Plainville
4 public schools with 1,324 students, about 13.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph W Martin Jr Elementary | K-5 | 541 | 13.2 |
| Anna Ware Jackson | PK-2 | 321 | 11.9 |
| Beatrice H Wood Elementary | 3-6 | 314 | 13.1 |
| North Attleborough Early Learning Center | PK-PK | 148 | 16.4 |
Towns near Plainville
- North Attleborough Town, MA2.9 mi · 30,834 people · home $482,200
- Wrentham, MA2.9 mi · 12,178 people · home $654,900
- Cumberland, RI5.3 mi · 36,405 people · home $431,000
- Foxborough, MA5.7 mi · 18,618 people · home $606,300
- Foxborough, MA5.7 mi · 6,227 people · home $538,500
- Attleboro, MA6.0 mi · 46,461 people · home $448,100
- Mansfield Center, MA6.1 mi · 7,830 people · home $480,000
- Mansfield, MA6.2 mi · 23,860 people · home $603,500
Plainville questions
Is Plainville, Massachusetts a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Plainville scores better for retirees than 49% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 47%. 22.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.2).
How much does a house cost in Plainville?
The median owner-occupied home in Plainville is valued at $476,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $104,106, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $1,977 a month.
What is the weather like in Plainville?
July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 18.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 51.9 inches of precipitation a year and 47.7 inches of snow.
Does Plainville get tornadoes?
18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 9, 1953. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)