Compare towns
Scituate vs Westerly 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 youngest population (median age 49.9).
Westerly has the most renters (25.3% rent).
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 | Westerly | Charlestown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 10,517 |
23,333Highest |
8,051Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+2.5%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+2.2% RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 49.9±4Lowest 23% above RI |
52.2±2.4 29% above RI |
53.3±2.1Highest 31% above RI |
| Charlestown and Westerly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.9%±3.3Highest RI: 18.8% |
14.4%±2.1 RI: 18.8% |
13%±3.3Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Scituate and Westerly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±4.3Lowest RI: 18.7% |
26.4%±2.6 RI: 18.7% |
27.1%±3.5Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Charlestown and Westerly 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% |
45.8%Highest RI: 37.7% |
40.4% RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.2%±1.7Lowest RI: 8.3% |
5%±1.5 RI: 8.3% |
6.6%±2.7Highest RI: 8.3% |
| Charlestown and Westerly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $112,315±$23kHighest 28% above RI |
$98,875±$5kLowest 13% 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±$26kLowest 11% above RI |
$466,600±$15k 15% above RI |
$525,500±$57kHighest 30% above RI |
| Charlestown and Westerly 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 |
$1,257±$131Lowest 6% 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 |
$3,847 21% below RI |
$3,365Lowest 31% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.6%±25.9 RI: 48% |
46.6%±10.4Lowest 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% |
5.2%Highest RI: 11.2% |
4.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.3% RI: 63.6% |
74.7%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
92%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 4 yrs newer than RI |
1973 11 yrs newer than RI |
1980Highest 18 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 20% above RI |
24 minLowest 5% below RI |
28 min 9% above RI |
| Work from home | 13.3%±5.1 RI: 13% |
11.5%±2.5Lowest RI: 13% |
18.9%±3.9Highest RI: 13% |
| Charlestown 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 | #25 of 38 in RI | #10 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Scituate | Westerly | Chariho |
| High school in town | Scituate High School | Westerly High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.8Highest |
9.6Lowest |
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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.