Compare towns
Pawtucket vs North 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 kids (22.4% under 18).
North 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 | North Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 75,893Highest |
34,293Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% RI: +4.3% |
+6.3% RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8Lowest 9% below RI |
42.1±1.9Highest 4% above RI |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6Highest RI: 18.8% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 14.5%±1.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
20.9%±2.1Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
36.9%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8Lowest RI: 8.3% |
6.2%±1.4Highest RI: 8.3% |
| North Providence 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 |
$83,756±$6kHighest 5% below RI |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest 19% below RI |
$355,900±$12kHighest 12% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39Lowest 10% below RI |
$1,405±$64Highest 5% above RI |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 16% below RI |
$4,843Highest about the RI average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Highest RI: 48% |
42.7%±6.2Lowest RI: 48% |
| Pawtucket and North Providence 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% |
9.3%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
63.9%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 15 yrs older than RI |
1970Highest 8 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the RI average |
27 minHighest 7% above RI |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest RI: 13% |
12.4%±2.5Highest RI: 13% |
| North 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 | #26 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | North Providence · Excel Academy Rhode Island |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | North Providence High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
12.8Lowest |
| 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.