What stands out worked out from the figures below

Central Falls has the most affordable homes ($352k median).

Lawrence has the most people working from home (6.8%).

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	Central Falls	Lawrence
People
Population	22,701Lowest	88,736Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+16.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	32.5±2.3Lowest 16% below U.S.	32.6±0.9Highest 16% below U.S.
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	26.1%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	10.7%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Central Falls and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	10.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	16.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$49,285±$8kLowest 39% below U.S.	$60,433±$3kHighest 25% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$352,100±$30kLowest 6% above U.S.	$415,200±$23kHighest 25% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,200±$75Lowest 15% below U.S.	$1,662±$50Highest 18% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,744Highest 20% above U.S.	$3,422Lowest 10% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56.7%±8.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	24.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	17.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	25.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	28.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S.	1950Highest 30 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest 4% above U.S.	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.
Work from home	5.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	6.8%±1.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Lawrence and Central Falls 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	#38 of 38 in RI	#278 of 282 in MA
School district	Learning Community · Segue Institute for Learning	Lawrence
High school in town	Central Falls Sr High	Lawrence High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6Highest	13.6Lowest
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.