Compare towns
Pawtucket vs Whately 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 renters (49.9% rent).
Whately has the most people working from home (20.4%).
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 | Whately | Cranston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 75,893 |
1,499Lowest |
83,250Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S. |
49.3±6.7Highest 27% above U.S. |
39.6±0.9 about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 22.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.4%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±1.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Pawtucket and Cranston 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% |
24.5%±6.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
47.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.5%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.3%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cranston 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±$4kLowest 15% below U.S. |
$116,563±$15kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$90,206±$4k 12% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$431,500±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$378,300±$7k 14% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$977±$125Lowest 31% below U.S. |
$1,375±$59Highest about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,115Lowest 32% above U.S. |
$5,027 61% above U.S. |
$5,103Highest 64% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
26.7%±29Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.3%±6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Cranston 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1974Highest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 3% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.4%±8.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Whately and Cranston 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 | — | #27 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Whately | Achievement First Rhode Island · Cranston |
| High school in town | William E. Tolman High | None in town | Cranston High School West |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.6Lowest |
— | 15.4Highest |
| 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.