What stands out worked out from the figures below

Scituate has the oldest population (median age 49.9).

Douglas has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).

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	Scituate	Douglas
People
Population	10,517Highest	9,207Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.9±4Highest 28% above U.S.	44±2.6Lowest 13% above U.S.
	Scituate and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.9%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Douglas and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%	15.4%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	41.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.4%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Douglas and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$112,315±$23kLowest 39% above U.S.	$152,267±$10kHighest 89% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$449,300±$26kLowest 35% above U.S.	$470,600±$29kHighest 41% above U.S.
	Douglas and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,489±$251Lowest 5% above U.S.	$1,503±$697Highest 6% above U.S.
	Douglas and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,265Lowest 69% above U.S.	$6,338Highest 103% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59.6%±25.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	33.9%±17.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Scituate and Douglas are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	83.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S.	1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minLowest 16% above U.S.	34 minHighest 28% above U.S.
Work from home	13.3%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	20.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Douglas and Scituate 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	#17 of 38 in RI	#177 of 282 in MA
School district	Scituate	Douglas
High school in town	Scituate High School	Douglas High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.8Highest	7.2Lowest
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.