Compare towns
Foster vs Mansfield vs Scituate
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Foster has the most kids (18.7% under 18).
Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Scituate has the oldest population (median age 49.9).
Mansfield is a college town. 57% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Foster | Mansfield | Scituate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,523Lowest |
25,358Highest |
10,517 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +0.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.1±3 21% above U.S. |
21.2±0.2Lowest 46% below U.S. |
49.9±4Highest 28% above U.S. |
| Scituate and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±4.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.9%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Foster and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±3.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
11%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Scituate and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
57.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
57%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.2%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,646±$18kHighest 41% above U.S. |
$72,393±$12kLowest 10% below U.S. |
$112,315±$23k 39% above U.S. |
| Foster and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $425,300±$30k 28% above U.S. |
$335,400±$20kLowest about the U.S. average |
$449,300±$26kHighest 35% above U.S. |
| Scituate and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,509±$556 7% above U.S. |
$1,602±$104Highest 13% above U.S. |
$1,489±$251Lowest 5% above U.S. |
| Mansfield and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,135Highest 129% above U.S. |
$5,727 84% above U.S. |
$5,265Lowest 69% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.8%±25.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
76%±9.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
59.6%±25.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Mansfield and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
21.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
57.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 22% below U.S. |
31 min 16% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 17.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
28.3%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.3%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #22 of 38 in RI | #45 of 149 in CT | #17 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Foster | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District | Scituate |
| High school in town | None in town | E. O. Smith High School | Scituate High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.8Highest |
10.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.