Compare towns
Scituate vs Smithfield vs Charlestown
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Scituate has the highest household income ($112k).
Smithfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.2%).
Charlestown has the most people working from home (18.9%).
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.
| Measure | Scituate | Smithfield | Charlestown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,517 |
22,233Highest |
8,051Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+3.2%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+2.2% RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 49.9±4 23% above RI |
41.8±2.6Lowest about the RI average |
53.3±2.1Highest 31% above RI |
| Charlestown and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.9%±3.3 RI: 18.8% |
16.9%±2.4Highest RI: 18.8% |
13%±3.3Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Smithfield and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.3 RI: 18.7% |
21.1%±2.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
27.1%±3.5Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Charlestown and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.7%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
40% RI: 37.7% |
40.4%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.7Lowest RI: 8.3% |
16.7%±0.9Highest RI: 8.3% |
6.6%±2.7 RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $112,315±$23kHighest 28% above RI |
$102,077±$8kLowest 16% above RI |
$109,404±$10k 25% above RI |
| Scituate and Charlestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $449,300±$26k 11% above RI |
$446,400±$12kLowest 10% above RI |
$525,500±$57kHighest 30% above RI |
| Charlestown and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,489±$251Highest 11% above RI |
$1,016±$241Lowest 24% below RI |
$1,374±$134 about the RI average |
| Scituate and Charlestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,265Highest 7% above RI |
$5,207 6% above RI |
$3,365Lowest 31% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.6%±25.9 RI: 48% |
57.1%±17.7Lowest RI: 48% |
60.7%±20.6Highest RI: 48% |
| Charlestown and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5% RI: 11.2% |
6.2%Highest RI: 11.2% |
4.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.3% RI: 63.6% |
81.6%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
92%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 4 yrs newer than RI |
1976 14 yrs newer than RI |
1980Highest 18 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 20% above RI |
25 minLowest 4% below RI |
28 min 9% above RI |
| Work from home | 13.3%±5.1Lowest RI: 13% |
14%±3.1 RI: 13% |
18.9%±3.9Highest RI: 13% |
| Charlestown and Smithfield 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 | #8 of 38 in RI | #10 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Scituate | Smithfield | Chariho |
| High school in town | Scituate High School | Smithfield High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.8Lowest |
11.8Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
RI 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.