What stands out worked out from the figures below

Johnston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.8%).

Oxford has the most people working from home (16.4%).

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	Oxford
People
Population	29,835Highest	13,385Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-2.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.5±2.5Highest 14% above U.S.	42±2.8Lowest 8% above U.S.
	Johnston and Oxford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.5%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Oxford 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 U.S.: 17.2%	16.6%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	29.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.7%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Oxford and Johnston 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 14% above U.S.	$103,862±$10kHighest 29% above U.S.
	Oxford 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 7% above U.S.	$374,900±$18kHighest 13% above U.S.
	Oxford and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,275±$132Highest 10% below U.S.	$1,177±$142Lowest 17% below U.S.
	Johnston and Oxford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,614Lowest 48% above U.S.	$4,622Highest 48% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	38.1%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	57.8%±15.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Oxford and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S.	1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 11% below U.S.	28 minHighest 7% above U.S.
Work from home	9.9%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.4%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Oxford 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	#245 of 282 in MA
School district	Johnston	Oxford
High school in town	Johnston Senior High	Oxford High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.3	10.3
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.