What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pawtucket has the most renters (49.9% rent).

Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).

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	Pawtucket	Suffield
People
Population	75,893Highest	15,702Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.3% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S.	44.5±1.7Highest 14% above U.S.
Kids under 18	22.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22%	16.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	18.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	40.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Pawtucket and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$68,310±$4kLowest 15% below U.S.	$119,472±$13kHighest 48% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average	$407,500±$26kHighest 22% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,208±$39Lowest 15% below U.S.	$1,424±$141Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,115Lowest 32% above U.S.	$6,456Highest 107% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	51%±4.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Suffield and Pawtucket 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%	4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S.	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 min 3% below U.S.	26 min 3% below U.S.
Work from home	9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#35 of 38 in RI	#57 of 149 in CT
School district	Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket	Suffield School District
High school in town	William E. Tolman High	Suffield High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6Highest	10.9Lowest
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.