What stands out worked out from the figures below

Rochester has the most homeowners (88.1%).

Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).

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	Rochester	Woonsocket
People
Population	5,837Lowest	43,521Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	46.5±6Highest 20% above U.S.	35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S.
Kids under 18	20.1%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Woonsocket and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.1%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Rochester and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	43.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Woonsocket and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$120,273±$12kHighest 49% above U.S.	$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$599,100±$31kHighest 80% above U.S.	$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,432±$743Highest about the U.S. average	$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S.
	Rochester and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,530Highest 109% above U.S.	$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.1%±10.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	46.7%±5.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Woonsocket and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S.	1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 38% above U.S.	29 minLowest 11% above U.S.
Work from home	8.3%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Rochester and Woonsocket 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	#104 of 282 in MA	#37 of 38 in RI
School district	Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester	RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket
High school in town	Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical	Woonsocket High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.1Lowest	15.2Highest
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.