Compare towns
Coventry vs Methuen 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
Coventry has the most affordable homes ($356k median).
Methuen has the most kids (21.3% under 18).
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 | Coventry | Methuen | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 35,907 |
53,475Highest |
22,233Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +3.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44±1.1Highest 13% above U.S. |
39.9±1.7Lowest about the U.S. average |
41.8±2.6 7% above U.S. |
| Coventry and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
21.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Methuen and Coventry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.2%±1.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.1%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Smithfield and Coventry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
31%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.7%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
16.7%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $102,946±$8k 28% above U.S. |
$113,310±$7kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$102,077±$8kLowest 26% above U.S. |
| Methuen and Coventry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,200±$11kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$499,700±$17kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$446,400±$12k 34% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,206±$155 15% below U.S. |
$1,749±$91Highest 24% above U.S. |
$1,016±$241Lowest 28% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,099 63% above U.S. |
$5,061Lowest 62% above U.S. |
$5,207Highest 67% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.5%±11.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.4%±6.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.1%±17.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Smithfield and Coventry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 11.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.2%±2.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
14%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Smithfield and Methuen 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 | #24 of 38 in RI | #236 of 282 in MA | #8 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Coventry | Methuen | Smithfield |
| High school in town | Coventry High School | Methuen High | Smithfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3 |
13.1Highest |
11.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.