Compare towns
Melrose 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
Melrose has the most people working from home (29.6%).
Pawtucket has the shortest commute (26 min average).
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 | Melrose | Pawtucket | Woonsocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 29,650Lowest |
75,893Highest |
43,521 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.6±1.1Highest 12% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 20.2%±2.1Lowest 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+ | 20.6%±2.2Highest 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+ | 62%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Pawtucket and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $133,953±$14kHighest 66% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $822,900±$20kHighest 147% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,970±$149Highest 39% above U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,578Highest 143% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±8.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Melrose and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1952Highest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 31% above U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 29.6%±2.7Highest 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 | #62 of 282 in MA | #35 of 38 in RI | #37 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Melrose | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket |
| High school in town | Melrose High | William E. Tolman High | Woonsocket High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Lowest |
14.6 |
15.2Highest |
| 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.