Compare towns
Cranston vs Pawtucket vs Upton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cranston has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Pawtucket has the most renters (49.9% rent).
Upton has the most people working from home (22.8%).
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 | Cranston | Pawtucket | Upton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 83,250Highest |
75,893 |
8,189Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.6±0.9 about the U.S. average |
37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Upton and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Upton and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.3%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cranston and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $90,206±$4k 12% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4kLowest 15% below U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $378,300±$7k 14% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,375±$59Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,103 64% above U.S. |
$4,115Lowest 32% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.3%±6 U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Upton and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
26 min 3% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 13%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #27 of 38 in RI | #35 of 38 in RI | #46 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Achievement First Rhode Island · Cranston | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | Cranston High School West | William E. Tolman High | Blackstone Valley |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.4Highest |
14.6 |
11.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.