Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Providence vs Upton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pawtucket has the most affordable homes ($326k median).
Providence has the most renters (58.6% rent).
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
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 | Providence | Upton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 75,893 |
191,767Highest |
8,189Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
32.8±0.5Lowest 16% below U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Upton 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% |
11.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
14.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$68,119±$3kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$362,200±$8k 9% above U.S. |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,408±$42Highest about the U.S. average |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 32% above U.S. |
$4,418 42% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48%±2.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Upton 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% |
20.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
41.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 3% below U.S. |
25 minLowest 5% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #36 of 38 in RI | #46 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Classical High School | Blackstone Valley |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
17.2Highest |
11.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.