Compare towns
Exeter vs Pawtucket vs Woonsocket
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).
Pawtucket has the oldest housing (typical home built 1947).
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
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 | Exeter | Pawtucket | Woonsocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,151Lowest |
75,893Highest |
43,521 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.7%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4 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 | 4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
26 min 3% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #22 of 120 in NH | #35 of 38 in RI | #37 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket |
| High school in town | Exeter High School | William E. Tolman High | Woonsocket High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Lowest |
14.6 |
15.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 59 photos → | 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.