What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).

Dudley has the most affordable homes ($393k median).

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	Cumberland	Dudley
People
Population	36,820Highest	11,929Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+4.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.5±1.2Highest 12% above U.S.	40.2±2.4Lowest 3% above U.S.
	Cumberland and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.4%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22%	20.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Cumberland and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.9%±3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Cumberland and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	24.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.1%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	13.1%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$117,522±$8kHighest 46% above U.S.	$84,604±$12kLowest 5% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,000±$15kHighest 30% above U.S.	$392,600±$19kLowest 18% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$109Highest about the U.S. average	$1,217±$182Lowest 14% below U.S.
	Cumberland and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,870Highest 56% above U.S.	$3,691Lowest 18% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.9%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%	47.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Cumberland and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	73.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1967Lowest 13 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest about the U.S. average	27 minHighest 4% above U.S.
Work from home	14.8%±2.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	9.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#18 of 38 in RI	#142 of 282 in MA
School district	Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy · Cumberland	Dudley-Charlton Reg
High school in town	Cumberland High School	Shepherd Hill Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	13.6Lowest	14.3Highest
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.