Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Central Falls vs Providence
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pawtucket has the most homeowners (50.1%).
Central Falls has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.6%).
Providence has the most people working from home (14.3%).
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 | Central Falls | Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 75,893 |
22,701Lowest |
191,767Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+16.6%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+7.2% RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8Highest 9% below RI |
32.5±2.3Lowest 20% below RI |
32.8±0.5 19% below RI |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6 RI: 18.8% |
26.1%±3.7Highest RI: 18.8% |
20.1%±1Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Central Falls and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.5%±1.1Highest RI: 18.7% |
10.7%±2Lowest RI: 18.7% |
11.6%±0.7 RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2% RI: 37.7% |
10.8%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
34.6%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 RI: 8.3% |
4.6%±1.7Lowest RI: 8.3% |
14.4%±0.8Highest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4kHighest 22% below RI |
$49,285±$8kLowest 44% below RI |
$68,119±$3k 22% below RI |
| Pawtucket and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest 19% below RI |
$352,100±$30k 13% below RI |
$362,200±$8kHighest 10% below RI |
| Providence and Central Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 10% below RI |
$1,200±$75Lowest 11% below RI |
$1,408±$42Highest 5% above RI |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115 16% below RI |
$3,744Lowest 24% below RI |
$4,418Highest 10% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
56.7%±8.2Highest RI: 48% |
48%±2.8 RI: 48% |
| Central Falls and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.3%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
24.6%Highest RI: 11.2% |
20.7% RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1%Highest RI: 63.6% |
25.6%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
41.4% RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Highest 15 yrs older than RI |
1944 18 yrs older than RI |
1938Lowest 24 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the RI average |
27 minHighest 7% above RI |
25 minLowest about the RI average |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5 RI: 13% |
5.2%±2Lowest RI: 13% |
14.3%±1.2Highest RI: 13% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #38 of 38 in RI | #36 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Learning Community · Segue Institute for Learning | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Central Falls Sr High | Classical High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Lowest |
14.6Lowest |
17.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.