What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pawtucket has the most renters (49.9% rent).

Bow has the highest household income ($173k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Pawtucket	Bow
People
Population	75,893Highest	8,335Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S.	41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S.
Kids under 18	22.4%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Bow and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bow and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4%	5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$68,310±$4kLowest 15% below U.S.	$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average	$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,208±$39Lowest 15% below U.S.	$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,115Lowest 32% above U.S.	$9,584Highest 207% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.9%±4.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%	39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pawtucket and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S.	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 3% below U.S.	27 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#35 of 38 in RI	#26 of 120 in NH
School district	Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket	Bow School District
High school in town	William E. Tolman High	Bow High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6Highest	12.8Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.