Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Reading 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
Pawtucket has the most affordable homes ($326k median).
Reading has the highest household income ($166k).
Providence has the most renters (58.6% 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 | Reading | Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 75,893 |
25,612Lowest |
191,767Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S. |
32.8±0.5Lowest 16% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
22.8%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Reading 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% |
20.7%±2.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
11.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
66.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
14.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$165,912±$13kHighest 106% above U.S. |
$68,119±$3kLowest 16% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$809,000±$22kHighest 143% above U.S. |
$362,200±$8k 9% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39Lowest 15% below U.S. |
$1,991±$273Highest 41% above U.S. |
$1,408±$42 about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 32% above U.S. |
$9,320Highest 199% above U.S. |
$4,418 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
27.8%±9.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48%±2.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
20.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
41.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1960Highest 20 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 17% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
30.2%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #50 of 282 in MA | #36 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Reading | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Reading Memorial High | Classical High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
12.1Lowest |
17.2Highest |
| 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.