Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Bow 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
Pawtucket has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
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 | Pawtucket | Bow | Woonsocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 75,893Highest |
8,335Lowest |
43,521 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S. |
35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±2 U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Woonsocket 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% |
14.7%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bow and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115 32% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #26 of 120 in NH | #37 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Bow School District | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Bow High School | Woonsocket High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
12.8Lowest |
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.