Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Cranston
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
Cranston has the most people working from home (13%).
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 | Cranston |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 75,893Lowest |
83,250Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+3.2%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8Lowest 9% below RI |
39.6±0.9Highest about the RI average |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6Highest RI: 18.8% |
19.6%±1.4Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Pawtucket and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 14.5%±1.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
16.8%±1.1Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
36.4%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8Lowest RI: 8.3% |
6.3%±0.8Highest RI: 8.3% |
| Cranston and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4kLowest 22% below RI |
$90,206±$4kHighest about the RI average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest 19% below RI |
$378,300±$7kHighest 6% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39Lowest 10% below RI |
$1,375±$59Highest about the RI average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 16% below RI |
$5,103Highest 4% above RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
47.3%±6Highest RI: 48% |
| Cranston and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 13.3%Highest RI: 11.2% |
10.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
67.6%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 15 yrs older than RI |
1958Highest 4 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest about the RI average |
24 minLowest 5% below RI |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest RI: 13% |
13%±1.2Highest RI: 13% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #27 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Achievement First Rhode Island · Cranston |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Cranston High School West |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Lowest |
15.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.