Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Upton vs Providence vs Cranston
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).
Upton has the highest household income ($156k).
Providence has the most renters (58.6% rent).
Cranston has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Upton | Providence | Cranston |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 75,893 |
8,189Lowest |
191,767Highest |
83,250 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
46.4±4.8Highest 19% above U.S. |
32.8±0.5Lowest 16% below U.S. |
39.6±0.9 about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
23.2%±4.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±1 U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±1.4Lowest 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% |
20.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
11.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Upton and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
36.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
14.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.3%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$155,508±$33kHighest 93% above U.S. |
$68,119±$3kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$90,206±$4k 12% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$576,700±$41kHighest 73% above U.S. |
$362,200±$8k 9% above U.S. |
$378,300±$7k 14% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$948±$599Lowest 33% below U.S. |
$1,408±$42Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,375±$59 about the U.S. average |
| Providence and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 32% above U.S. |
$8,376Highest 169% above U.S. |
$4,418 42% above U.S. |
$5,103 64% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±31Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48%±2.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
47.3%±6 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% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
20.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
41.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 3% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
25 min 5% below U.S. |
24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.8%±5.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.3%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
13%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #46 of 282 in MA | #36 of 38 in RI | #27 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative | Achievement First Rhode Island · Cranston |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Blackstone Valley | Classical High School | Cranston High School West |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
11.2Lowest |
17.2Highest |
15.4 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.