Compare towns
Exeter vs Woonsocket vs Scituate vs Richmond
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most people working from home (17.2%).
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
Scituate has the oldest population (median age 49.9).
Richmond has the highest household income ($125k).
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 | Exeter | Woonsocket | Scituate | Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,195Lowest |
43,521Highest |
10,517 |
8,142 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+5%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+0.5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+4% RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 37.7±5.9 7% below RI |
35.7±1.3Lowest 12% below RI |
49.9±4Highest 23% above RI |
42.7±4.1 5% above RI |
| Scituate and Richmond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.7%±4.7 RI: 18.8% |
23.3%±2Highest RI: 18.8% |
14.9%±3.3Lowest RI: 18.8% |
22%±4.8 RI: 18.8% |
| Woonsocket and Richmond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.2%±3.8 RI: 18.7% |
14.7%±1.4Lowest RI: 18.7% |
25.2%±4.3Highest RI: 18.7% |
15.7%±3.2 RI: 18.7% |
| Scituate and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.1% RI: 37.7% |
19.8%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
34.7% RI: 37.7% |
49.5%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11.1%±6.3Highest RI: 8.3% |
5.1%±0.9 RI: 8.3% |
4.2%±1.7Lowest RI: 8.3% |
7.1%±2.9 RI: 8.3% |
| Exeter and Richmond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,250±$30k 27% above RI |
$61,059±$5kLowest 30% below RI |
$112,315±$23k 28% above RI |
$124,653±$27kHighest 42% above RI |
| Richmond and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $509,200±$43kHighest 26% above RI |
$311,000±$15kLowest 23% below RI |
$449,300±$26k 11% above RI |
$435,800±$22k 8% above RI |
| Exeter and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,317±$307 about the RI average |
$1,161±$48Lowest 13% below RI |
$1,489±$251 11% above RI |
$1,580±$777Highest 18% above RI |
| Richmond and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,881 20% above RI |
$3,960Lowest 19% below RI |
$5,265 7% above RI |
$6,362Highest 30% above RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 91%±26.7Highest RI: 48% |
46.7%±5.4 RI: 48% |
59.6%±25.9 RI: 48% |
0%±42.9Lowest RI: 48% |
| Exeter and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.8% RI: 11.2% |
18.7%Highest RI: 11.2% |
5% RI: 11.2% |
3.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.3% RI: 63.6% |
37.2%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
87.3% RI: 63.6% |
96.6%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987Highest 25 yrs newer than RI |
1952Lowest 10 yrs older than RI |
1966 4 yrs newer than RI |
1985 23 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 12% below RI |
29 min 15% above RI |
31 min 20% above RI |
34 minHighest 33% above RI |
| Work from home | 17.2%±6.1Highest RI: 13% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest RI: 13% |
13.3%±5.1 RI: 13% |
11%±3.8 RI: 13% |
| Exeter and Scituate 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 | #14 of 38 in RI | #37 of 38 in RI | #17 of 38 in RI | #16 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Exeter-West Greenwich | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Scituate | Chariho |
| High school in town | None in town | Woonsocket High School | Scituate High School | Chariho High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 15.2Highest |
10.8Lowest |
12.7 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
RI 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.