What stands out worked out from the figures below

Boylston has the most people working from home (22.7%).

Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).

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	Boylston	Woonsocket
People
Population	4,948Lowest	43,521Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	48.2±2.3Highest 24% above U.S.	35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S.
Kids under 18	18%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Woonsocket and Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22%±4.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	54.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.6%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Woonsocket and Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$140,962±$28kHighest 75% above U.S.	$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$578,600±$47kHighest 74% above U.S.	$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,032±$350Highest 44% above U.S.	$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,266Highest 133% above U.S.	$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.1%±16.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	46.7%±5.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Woonsocket and Boylston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S.	1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	29 minHighest 11% above U.S.
Work from home	22.7%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#72 of 282 in MA	#37 of 38 in RI
School district	Berlin-Boylston	RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket
High school in town	Tahanto Regional High	Woonsocket High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Lowest	15.2Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.