What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pawtucket has the most renters (49.9% rent).

Hooksett has the highest household income ($118k).

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	Pawtucket	Hooksett
People
Population	75,893Highest	15,057Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+10.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S.	41.3±1.5Highest 6% above U.S.
Kids under 18	22.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22%	17.4%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	17.3%±2.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hooksett and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	39.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	8.9%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$68,310±$4kLowest 15% below U.S.	$117,962±$11kHighest 46% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average	$407,000±$26kHighest 22% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,208±$39Lowest 15% below U.S.	$1,661±$206Highest 18% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,115Lowest 32% above U.S.	$6,554Highest 110% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.9%±4.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%	41.7%±16.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pawtucket and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	80.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 3% below U.S.	27 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	13.4%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hooksett and Pawtucket 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	#35 of 38 in RI	#30 of 120 in NH
School district	Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket	Hooksett School District
High school in town	William E. Tolman High	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6	—
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.