Compare towns
Middletown vs Melville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middletown has the most homeowners (57.9%).
Melville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.9%).
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 | Middletown | Melville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 16,832Highest |
1,631Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+21.9%Highest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 43.8±2Highest 8% above RI |
28.8±1.8Lowest 29% below RI |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.7Lowest RI: 18.8% |
31.6%±5.3Highest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 22.3%±2.6Highest RI: 18.7% |
1%±3.2Lowest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
59.5%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.9%±1.6Lowest RI: 8.3% |
23.1%±8.2Highest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $101,948±$6kLowest 16% above RI |
$102,266±$22kHighest 16% above RI |
| Melville and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $563,300±$46k 39% above RI |
— |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,990±$170Lowest 48% above RI |
$2,724±$118Highest 103% above RI |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,153 26% above RI |
— |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±6.3Lowest RI: 48% |
59.8%±20.7Highest RI: 48% |
| Melville and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 8.5%Highest RI: 11.2% |
1.6%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.9%Highest RI: 63.6% |
4.6%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 7 yrs newer than RI |
1976Highest 14 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minHighest 22% below RI |
14 minLowest 44% below RI |
| Work from home | 10.9%±2.3Highest RI: 13% |
2%±2.7Lowest RI: 13% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #23 of 38 in RI | — |
| School district | Middletown | — |
| High school in town | Middletown High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.