Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Canton 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).
Canton has the most people working from home (25.7%).
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 | Canton | Woonsocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 75,893Highest |
24,748Lowest |
43,521 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+13%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
42.6±2.3Highest 10% above U.S. |
35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Canton 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% |
18.8%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.7%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
67.5%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% |
4.5%±1Lowest 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 | $68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$143,381±$9kHighest 78% above U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$710,600±$27kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$2,315±$178Highest 64% above U.S. |
$1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115 32% above U.S. |
$6,560Highest 110% above U.S. |
$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.4%±9.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Canton and Woonsocket 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% |
5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
25.7%±3.3Highest 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 | #81 of 282 in MA | #37 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical · Canton | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Canton High | Woonsocket High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
13.1Lowest |
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.