Compare towns
Scituate vs Wakefield vs Johnston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Scituate has the most homeowners (87.3%).
Wakefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).
Johnston has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Wakefield | Johnston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,517Lowest |
27,793 |
29,835Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.9±4Highest 28% above U.S. |
42.4±1.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
44.5±2.5 14% above U.S. |
| Scituate and Johnston 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% |
20%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Wakefield and Johnston 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% |
19%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±2.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Scituate and Johnston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Johnston and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $112,315±$23k 39% above U.S. |
$134,306±$14kHighest 66% above U.S. |
$91,866±$6kLowest 14% above U.S. |
| Wakefield and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $449,300±$26k 35% above U.S. |
$723,500±$24kHighest 117% above U.S. |
$355,500±$13kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,489±$251 5% above U.S. |
$1,958±$102Highest 39% above U.S. |
$1,275±$132Lowest 10% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,265 69% above U.S. |
$7,779Highest 149% above U.S. |
$4,614Lowest 48% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.6%±25.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±7.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
38.1%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Scituate and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Highest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 16% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 13.3%±5.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.6%±3.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.9%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #17 of 38 in RI | #179 of 282 in MA | #32 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Scituate | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | Johnston |
| High school in town | Scituate High School | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | Johnston Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.8Highest |
10.7 |
10.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.