What stands out worked out from the figures below

Johnston has the most affordable homes ($356k median).

North Smithfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.2%).

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	Johnston	North Smithfield
People
Population	29,835Highest	12,708Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.8%Lowest RI: +4.3%	+5.2%Highest RI: +4.3%
Median age	44.5±2.5Lowest 10% above RI	45.5±3.9Highest 12% above RI
	North Smithfield and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.5%±2.4Lowest RI: 18.8%	19.2%±3.2Highest RI: 18.8%
	North Smithfield and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.1%±2.6Highest RI: 18.7%	20.9%±2.8Lowest RI: 18.7%
	Johnston and North Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.9%Lowest RI: 37.7%	33.8%Highest RI: 37.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.1%±1.6Highest RI: 8.3%	4.4%±1.3Lowest RI: 8.3%
	Johnston and North Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,866±$6kLowest 5% above RI	$108,866±$12kHighest 24% above RI
	North Smithfield and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$355,500±$13kLowest 12% below RI	$457,200±$21kHighest 13% above RI
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,275±$132Lowest 5% below RI	$1,282±$531Highest 4% below RI
	North Smithfield and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,614Lowest 6% below RI	$5,219Highest 7% above RI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	38.1%±8.7Highest RI: 48%	33.6%±11.4Lowest RI: 48%
	Johnston and North Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.9%Highest RI: 11.2%	4.8%Lowest RI: 11.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.9%Lowest RI: 63.6%	77.9%Highest RI: 63.6%
Typical home builtmedian year	1968Lowest 6 yrs newer than RI	1972Highest 10 yrs newer than RI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 7% below RI	26 minHighest 4% above RI
Work from home	9.9%±2.3Lowest RI: 13%	14.2%±3.6Highest RI: 13%
	North Smithfield and Johnston 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	#32 of 38 in RI	#13 of 38 in RI
School district	Johnston	North Smithfield
High school in town	Johnston Senior High	North Smitfield HS
Students per teacherat that high school	10.3Lowest	12.1Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.