What stands out worked out from the figures below

Westfield has the most affordable homes ($325k median).

Cranston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.2%).

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	Westfield	Cranston
People
Population	40,378Lowest	83,250Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	39.9±1.8Highest about the U.S. average	39.6±0.9Lowest about the U.S. average
	Westfield and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.1%±2Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.6%±1.4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Cranston and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±1.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Westfield and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	36.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	10%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.3%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$87,753±$6kLowest 9% above U.S.	$90,206±$4kHighest 12% above U.S.
	Cranston and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$325,100±$11kLowest about the U.S. average	$378,300±$7kHighest 14% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,117±$60Lowest 21% below U.S.	$1,375±$59Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,746Lowest 52% above U.S.	$5,103Highest 64% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.5%±5.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	47.3%±6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Cranston and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	10.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	68.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	67.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1964Highest 16 yrs older than U.S.	1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest about the U.S. average	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.
Work from home	8.6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	13%±1.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#197 of 282 in MA	#27 of 38 in RI
School district	Westfield	Achievement First Rhode Island · Cranston
High school in town	Westfield High	Cranston High School West
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Lowest	15.4Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.