What stands out worked out from the figures below

Lawrence has the most people working from home (6.8%).

Central Falls has the most affordable homes ($352k 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	Lawrence	Central Falls
People
Population	88,736Highest	22,701Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+16.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	32.6±0.9Highest 16% below U.S.	32.5±2.3Lowest 16% below U.S.
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22%	26.1%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	10.7%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Central Falls and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	10.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$60,433±$3kHighest 25% below U.S.	$49,285±$8kLowest 39% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$415,200±$23kHighest 25% above U.S.	$352,100±$30kLowest 6% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,662±$50Highest 18% above U.S.	$1,200±$75Lowest 15% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,422Lowest 10% above U.S.	$3,744Highest 20% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	56.7%±8.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Lawrence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	17.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	24.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	28.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	25.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Highest 30 yrs older than U.S.	1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	27 minHighest 4% above U.S.
Work from home	6.8%±1.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%	5.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Lawrence and Central Falls 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	#278 of 282 in MA	#38 of 38 in RI
School district	Lawrence	Learning Community · Segue Institute for Learning
High school in town	Lawrence High School	Central Falls Sr High
Students per teacherat that high school	13.6Lowest	14.6Highest
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.