What stands out worked out from the figures below

Putnam has the most affordable homes ($269k median).

Johnston has the most expensive homes ($356k median).

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	Putnam	Johnston
People
Population	9,292Lowest	29,835Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+2.8% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.7±3Lowest 12% above U.S.	44.5±2.5Highest 14% above U.S.
	Johnston and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%	17.5%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Putnam and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.5%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Johnston and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	28.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Johnston and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,561±$7kLowest 13% below U.S.	$91,866±$6kHighest 14% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$269,200±$11kLowest 19% below U.S.	$355,500±$13kHighest 7% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,149±$44Lowest 19% below U.S.	$1,275±$132Highest 10% below U.S.
	Johnston and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,860Lowest 24% above U.S.	$4,614Highest 48% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.7%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	38.1%±8.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Johnston and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	59.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S.	1968Highest 12 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 6% below U.S.	24 minLowest 11% below U.S.
Work from home	9%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	9.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Johnston and Putnam 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	#128 of 149 in CT	#32 of 38 in RI
School district	Putnam School District	Johnston
High school in town	Putnam High School	Johnston Senior High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	10.3Highest
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.