Compare towns
Middletown vs Pawtucket 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
Middletown has the most expensive homes ($563k median).
Pawtucket has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
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 | Middletown | Pawtucket | Woonsocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,832Lowest |
75,893Highest |
43,521 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7% RI: +4.3% |
+6.3%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 43.8±2Highest 8% above RI |
37.1±0.8 9% below RI |
35.7±1.3Lowest 12% below RI |
| Kids under 18 | 19%±2.7Lowest RI: 18.8% |
22.4%±1.6 RI: 18.8% |
23.3%±2Highest RI: 18.8% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.3%±2.6Highest RI: 18.7% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
14.7%±1.4 RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.4%Highest RI: 37.7% |
22.2% RI: 37.7% |
19.8%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.9%±1.6Highest RI: 8.3% |
5.6%±0.8 RI: 8.3% |
5.1%±0.9Lowest RI: 8.3% |
| Middletown and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,948±$6kHighest 16% above RI |
$68,310±$4k 22% below RI |
$61,059±$5kLowest 30% below RI |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $563,300±$46kHighest 39% above RI |
$325,500±$8k 19% below RI |
$311,000±$15kLowest 23% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,990±$170Highest 48% above RI |
$1,208±$39 10% below RI |
$1,161±$48Lowest 13% below RI |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,153Highest 26% above RI |
$4,115 16% below RI |
$3,960Lowest 19% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.9%±6.3Highest RI: 48% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
46.7%±5.4 RI: 48% |
| Middletown and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.5%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
13.3% RI: 11.2% |
18.7%Highest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.9%Highest RI: 63.6% |
50.1% RI: 63.6% |
37.2%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Highest 7 yrs newer than RI |
1947Lowest 15 yrs older than RI |
1952 10 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 22% below RI |
26 min about the RI average |
29 minHighest 15% above RI |
| Work from home | 10.9%±2.3Highest RI: 13% |
9.2%±1.5 RI: 13% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest RI: 13% |
| Middletown 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 | #23 of 38 in RI | #35 of 38 in RI | #37 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Middletown | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket |
| High school in town | Middletown High School | William E. Tolman High | Woonsocket High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
14.6 |
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.