What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cumberland has the highest household income ($118k).

Gardner has the most affordable homes ($302k 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	Gardner
People
Population	36,820Highest	21,148Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.5±1.2Lowest 12% above U.S.	43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S.
	Gardner and Cumberland 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%	18.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	18.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	19.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gardner and Cumberland 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%	23.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.1%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Gardner and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$117,522±$8kHighest 46% above U.S.	$67,518±$8kLowest 16% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,000±$15kHighest 30% above U.S.	$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,379±$109Highest about the U.S. average	$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,870Highest 56% above U.S.	$4,150Lowest 33% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.9%±9.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gardner and Cumberland 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%	13.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	58.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest about the U.S. average	31 minHighest 16% above U.S.
Work from home	14.8%±2.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	13.3%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Cumberland and Gardner 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	#18 of 38 in RI	#273 of 282 in MA
School district	Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy · Cumberland	Gardner
High school in town	Cumberland High School	Gardner High
Students per teacherat that high school	13.6Highest	13.5Lowest
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.