Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Providence vs Woonsocket
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 homeowners (50.1%).
Providence has the most people working from home (14.3%).
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
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 | Woonsocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 75,893 |
191,767Highest |
43,521Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% RI: +4.3% |
+7.2%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8Highest 9% below RI |
32.8±0.5Lowest 19% below RI |
35.7±1.3 12% below RI |
| Pawtucket and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6 RI: 18.8% |
20.1%±1Lowest RI: 18.8% |
23.3%±2Highest RI: 18.8% |
| 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 RI: 18.7% |
11.6%±0.7Lowest RI: 18.7% |
14.7%±1.4Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2% RI: 37.7% |
34.6%Highest RI: 37.7% |
19.8%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 RI: 8.3% |
14.4%±0.8Highest RI: 8.3% |
5.1%±0.9Lowest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4kHighest 22% below RI |
$68,119±$3k 22% below RI |
$61,059±$5kLowest 30% below RI |
| Pawtucket and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8k 19% below RI |
$362,200±$8kHighest 10% below RI |
$311,000±$15kLowest 23% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 10% below RI |
$1,408±$42Highest 5% above RI |
$1,161±$48Lowest 13% below RI |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115 16% below RI |
$4,418Highest 10% below RI |
$3,960Lowest 19% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
48%±2.8Highest RI: 48% |
46.7%±5.4 RI: 48% |
| Providence and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 13.3%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
20.7%Highest RI: 11.2% |
18.7% RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1%Highest RI: 63.6% |
41.4% RI: 63.6% |
37.2%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 15 yrs older than RI |
1938Lowest 24 yrs older than RI |
1952Highest 10 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the RI average |
25 minLowest about the RI average |
29 minHighest 15% above RI |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5 RI: 13% |
14.3%±1.2Highest RI: 13% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest RI: 13% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #36 of 38 in RI | #37 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Classical High School | Woonsocket High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Lowest |
17.2Highest |
15.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.