Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Hardwick vs Woonsocket vs Providence
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hardwick has the most homeowners (68.2%).
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
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 | Hardwick | Woonsocket | Providence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 75,893 |
2,684Lowest |
43,521 |
191,767Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
-10.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
45.3±9.8Highest 16% above U.S. |
35.7±1.3 8% below U.S. |
32.8±0.5Lowest 16% below U.S. |
| Hardwick and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
20.5%±5.6 U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.5%±1.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.7%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.7%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
11.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
30.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±4.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
14.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$75,000±$22kHighest 7% below U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$68,119±$3k 16% below U.S. |
| Hardwick 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±$8k about the U.S. average |
$346,700±$67k 4% above U.S. |
$311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$362,200±$8kHighest 9% above U.S. |
| Providence and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,108±$119Lowest 22% below U.S. |
$1,161±$48 18% below U.S. |
$1,408±$42Highest about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115 32% above U.S. |
$4,400 41% above U.S. |
$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$4,418Highest 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±13.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
48%±2.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hardwick and Providence 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% |
11%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
18.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
20.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
68.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
41.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Highest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 3% below U.S. |
31 minHighest 18% above U.S. |
29 min 11% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
8.7%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±1.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #163 of 282 in MA | #37 of 38 in RI | #36 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Quabbin | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | None in town | Woonsocket High School | Classical High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Lowest |
— | 15.2 |
17.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.