What stands out worked out from the figures below

Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).

Gardner has the most people working from home (13.3%).

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	Gardner
People
Population	43,521Highest	21,148Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S.	43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S.
Kids under 18	23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22%	18.3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	19.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	23.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Woonsocket and Gardner 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.	$67,518±$8kHighest 16% below U.S.
	Gardner and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$311,000±$15kHighest 7% below U.S.	$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S.
	Woonsocket and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,161±$48Highest 18% below U.S.	$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Woonsocket and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S.	$4,150Highest 33% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gardner 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%	13.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	58.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S.	1954Highest 26 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 11% above U.S.	31 minHighest 16% above U.S.
Work from home	6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	13.3%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#37 of 38 in RI	#273 of 282 in MA
School district	RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket	Gardner
High school in town	Woonsocket High School	Gardner High
Students per teacherat that high school	15.2Highest	13.5Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.