Compare towns
Pawtucket vs East 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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
East Providence has the most people working from home (12.4%).
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 | East Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 75,893Highest |
47,281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+0.2%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8Lowest 9% below RI |
45.1±2.4Highest 11% above RI |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6Highest RI: 18.8% |
15.6%±1.8Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 14.5%±1.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
20.8%±1.5Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
31.6%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8Highest RI: 8.3% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest RI: 8.3% |
| Pawtucket and East Providence 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 |
$75,912±$8kHighest 14% below RI |
| East Providence and Pawtucket 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 |
$365,500±$10kHighest 10% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39Lowest 10% below RI |
$1,288±$75Highest 4% below RI |
| East Providence and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 16% below RI |
$4,545Highest 7% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
48.5%±6.5Highest RI: 48% |
| East Providence 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% |
10.1%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
59.9%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 |
23 minLowest 11% below RI |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest RI: 13% |
12.4%±2.6Highest RI: 13% |
| East Providence and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #29 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | East Providence |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | East Providence High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Lowest |
15.5Highest |
| 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.