Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Smithfield
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
Smithfield has the most homeowners (81.6%).
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 | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 75,893Highest |
22,233Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+3.2%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8Lowest 9% below RI |
41.8±2.6Highest about the RI average |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6Highest RI: 18.8% |
16.9%±2.4Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 14.5%±1.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
21.1%±2.1Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
40%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8Lowest RI: 8.3% |
16.7%±0.9Highest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4kLowest 22% below RI |
$102,077±$8kHighest 16% above RI |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest 19% below RI |
$446,400±$12kHighest 10% above RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39Highest 10% below RI |
$1,016±$241Lowest 24% below RI |
| Pawtucket and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 16% below RI |
$5,207Highest 6% above RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
57.1%±17.7Highest RI: 48% |
| Smithfield and Pawtucket 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% |
6.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
81.6%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 15 yrs older than RI |
1976Highest 14 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest about the RI average |
25 minLowest 4% below RI |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest RI: 13% |
14%±3.1Highest RI: 13% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #8 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Smithfield |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Smithfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Highest |
11.8Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.