What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pawtucket has the most renters (49.9% rent).

Westminster has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.9%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Pawtucket	Westminster
People
Population	75,893Highest	8,374Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+12.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S.	48.3±4.6Highest 24% above U.S.
Kids under 18	22.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22%	21.3%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Pawtucket and Westminster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	26%±5.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$68,310±$4kLowest 15% below U.S.	$106,331±$22kHighest 32% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average	$422,000±$36kHighest 27% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,208±$39Lowest 15% below U.S.	$1,843±$268Highest 30% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,115Lowest 32% above U.S.	$4,973Highest 59% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	60%±27.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Westminster 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%	2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	87.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S.	1977Highest 3 yrs older 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%	12.5%±4.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Westminster 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	#112 of 282 in MA
School district	Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket	Ashburnham-Westminster
High school in town	William E. Tolman High	Oakmont Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6Highest	13.6Lowest
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.