Compare towns
Fall River vs Pawtucket vs Somerset
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Fall River has the most renters (64.7% rent).
Pawtucket has the most affordable homes ($326k median).
Somerset has the most homeowners (86.9%).
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.
| Measure | Fall River | Pawtucket | Somerset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 94,082Highest |
75,893 |
18,298Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 39.3±1.2 about the U.S. average |
37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S. |
47±2.2Highest 21% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±1.2 U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.9%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Pawtucket and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.1%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.3%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Pawtucket and Somerset are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,673±$3kLowest 30% below U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$112,677±$6kHighest 40% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $395,500±$11k 19% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$418,800±$18kHighest 26% above U.S. |
| Somerset and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,155±$27Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,271±$93Highest 10% below U.S. |
| Somerset and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,953Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
$4,977Highest 60% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.5%±3.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
58.3%±12.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Somerset and Fall River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1945Lowest 35 yrs older than U.S. |
1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1962Highest 18 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 7.1%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±2.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Somerset and Pawtucket 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 | #262 of 282 in MA | #35 of 38 in RI | #132 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Fall River · Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Somerset Berkley Regional School District · Somerset |
| High school in town | B M C Durfee High | William E. Tolman High | Somerset Berkley Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
14.6Highest |
11.6 |
| 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.