Compare towns
Bristol vs Brooklyn vs Smithfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bristol has the most renters (33.9% rent).
Brooklyn has the most affordable homes ($315k median).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (14%).
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 | Bristol | Brooklyn | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,220 |
8,517Lowest |
22,233Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +3.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43±2.2 11% above U.S. |
45.6±2.5Highest 17% above U.S. |
41.8±2.6Lowest 7% above U.S. |
| Brooklyn and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.9%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Brooklyn and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.9%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.1%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bristol and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
23.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 18.6%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
16.7%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bristol and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $97,764±$8k 21% above U.S. |
$96,207±$15kLowest 19% above U.S. |
$102,077±$8kHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Smithfield and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $485,000±$25kHighest 46% above U.S. |
$315,200±$28kLowest 5% below U.S. |
$446,400±$12k 34% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,579±$118Highest 12% above U.S. |
$1,125±$98 20% below U.S. |
$1,016±$241Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,393Highest 73% above U.S. |
$4,538Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$5,207 67% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.9%±8.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
38.5%±19.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
57.1%±17.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Smithfield and Brooklyn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 66.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S. |
1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 6% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
25 minLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.2%±2.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Smithfield and Bristol 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 | #20 of 38 in RI | #113 of 149 in CT | #8 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Bristol Warren | Brooklyn School District | Smithfield |
| High school in town | Mt. Hope High School | None in town | Smithfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5Highest |
— | 11.8Lowest |
| 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.