Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Ware vs Woonsocket vs West Warwick
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 grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
Ware has the most people working from home (12.3%).
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
West Warwick has the highest household income ($78k).
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 | Ware | Woonsocket | West Warwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 75,893Highest |
10,048Lowest |
43,521 |
31,173 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
43.1±4.7Highest 11% above U.S. |
35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
42.8±1.5 10% above U.S. |
| Ware and West Warwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.7%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
20%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ware and West Warwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
24% U.S.: 35.7% |
19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
26.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| West Warwick and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$67,475±$15k 16% below U.S. |
$61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$77,608±$7kHighest 4% below U.S. |
| West Warwick and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$289,700±$28kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$311,000±$15k 7% below U.S. |
$330,800±$12kHighest about the U.S. average |
| West Warwick and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,043±$109Lowest 26% below U.S. |
$1,161±$48 18% below U.S. |
$1,303±$74Highest 8% below U.S. |
| West Warwick and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115 32% above U.S. |
$4,237 36% above U.S. |
$3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$4,962Highest 59% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±16.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
43.5%±7.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ware and Woonsocket 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% |
11.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
57% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Highest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 3% below U.S. |
28 min 8% above U.S. |
29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Ware and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #35 of 38 in RI | #267 of 282 in MA | #37 of 38 in RI | #33 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Ware | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | West Warwick |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | Ware Junior/Senior High School | Woonsocket High School | West Warwick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6 |
11.1Lowest |
15.2Highest |
13.0 |
| 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.