What stands out worked out from the figures below

Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).

Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Woonsocket	Exeter
People
Population	43,521Highest	16,151Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S.	45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S.
Kids under 18	23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22%	17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Exeter and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S.	$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S.	$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S.	$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S.	$8,814Highest 183% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Exeter and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S.	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minHighest 11% above U.S.	25 minLowest 6% below U.S.
Work from home	6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#37 of 38 in RI	#22 of 120 in NH
School district	RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket	Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District
High school in town	Woonsocket High School	Exeter High School
Students per teacherat that high school	15.2Highest	12.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	59 photos →

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.