What stands out worked out from the figures below

Providence has the most expensive homes ($362k median).

Plainville has the most homeowners (67.7%).

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	Providence	Plainville
People
Population	191,767Highest	17,551Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.2% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	32.8±0.5Lowest 16% below U.S.	44.3±1.5Highest 14% above U.S.
Kids under 18	20.1%±1Highest U.S.: 22%	15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	11.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.1%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	14.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$68,119±$3kLowest 16% below U.S.	$84,343±$7kHighest 4% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$362,200±$8kHighest 9% above U.S.	$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,408±$42Highest about the U.S. average	$1,126±$147Lowest 20% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,418Lowest 42% above U.S.	$4,798Highest 54% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48%±2.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	40.3%±12.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Providence and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	20.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	41.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	67.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.	1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 5% below U.S.	21 minLowest 20% below U.S.
Work from home	14.3%±1.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%	10.7%±2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#36 of 38 in RI	#89 of 149 in CT
School district	MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative	Judicial Centers · Plainville School District
High school in town	Classical High School	Plainville High School
Students per teacherat that high school	17.2Highest	11.4Lowest
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.