What stands out worked out from the figures below

Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).

Rochester has the most homeowners (88.1%).

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	Rochester
People
Population	43,521Highest	5,837Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S.	46.5±6Highest 20% above U.S.
Kids under 18	23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22%	20.1%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Woonsocket and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.1%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Rochester and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	43.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Woonsocket and Rochester 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.	$120,273±$12kHighest 49% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S.	$599,100±$31kHighest 80% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S.	$1,432±$743Highest about the U.S. average
	Rochester and Woonsocket 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.	$6,530Highest 109% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.7%±5.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%	39.1%±10.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Woonsocket and Rochester 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%	5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	88.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S.	1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 11% above U.S.	37 minHighest 38% above U.S.
Work from home	6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	8.3%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Rochester and Woonsocket 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	#37 of 38 in RI	#104 of 282 in MA
School district	RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket	Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester
High school in town	Woonsocket High School	Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical
Students per teacherat that high school	15.2Highest	9.1Lowest
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.