Compare towns
Foster vs Richmond vs Woonsocket
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Foster has the most people working from home (17.7%).
Richmond has the highest household income ($125k).
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 | Foster | Richmond | Woonsocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,523Lowest |
8,142 |
43,521Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+4% RI: +4.3% |
+5%Highest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 47.1±3Highest 16% above RI |
42.7±4.1 5% above RI |
35.7±1.3Lowest 12% below RI |
| Foster and Richmond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±4.4Lowest RI: 18.8% |
22%±4.8 RI: 18.8% |
23.3%±2Highest RI: 18.8% |
| Woonsocket and Richmond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.5%±3.2Highest RI: 18.7% |
15.7%±3.2 RI: 18.7% |
14.7%±1.4Lowest RI: 18.7% |
| Foster and Richmond are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.9% RI: 37.7% |
49.5%Highest RI: 37.7% |
19.8%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±2.2Lowest RI: 8.3% |
7.1%±2.9Highest RI: 8.3% |
5.1%±0.9 RI: 8.3% |
| Richmond and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,646±$18k 29% above RI |
$124,653±$27kHighest 42% above RI |
$61,059±$5kLowest 30% below RI |
| Richmond and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $425,300±$30k 5% above RI |
$435,800±$22kHighest 8% above RI |
$311,000±$15kLowest 23% below RI |
| Richmond and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,509±$556 12% above RI |
$1,580±$777Highest 18% above RI |
$1,161±$48Lowest 13% below RI |
| Richmond and Foster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,135Highest 46% above RI |
$6,362 30% above RI |
$3,960Lowest 19% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 65.8%±25.5Highest RI: 48% |
0%±42.9Lowest RI: 48% |
46.7%±5.4 RI: 48% |
| Foster and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7% RI: 11.2% |
3.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
18.7%Highest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.4% RI: 63.6% |
96.6%Highest RI: 63.6% |
37.2%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 13 yrs newer than RI |
1985Highest 23 yrs newer than RI |
1952Lowest 10 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 30% above RI |
34 minHighest 33% above RI |
29 minLowest 15% above RI |
| Work from home | 17.7%±4.9Highest RI: 13% |
11%±3.8 RI: 13% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest RI: 13% |
| Foster and Richmond 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 | #22 of 38 in RI | #16 of 38 in RI | #37 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Foster | Chariho | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket |
| High school in town | None in town | Chariho High School | Woonsocket High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7Lowest |
15.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
RI 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.