Compare towns
Providence vs Pawtucket
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
Towns like ProvidenceWarwick
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Providence has the most people working from home (14.3%).
Pawtucket has the most homeowners (50.1%).
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 | Providence | Pawtucket |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 191,767Highest |
75,893Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+6.3%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 32.8±0.5Lowest 19% below RI |
37.1±0.8Highest 9% below RI |
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±1Lowest RI: 18.8% |
22.4%±1.6Highest RI: 18.8% |
| Pawtucket and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 11.6%±0.7Lowest RI: 18.7% |
14.5%±1.1Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.6%Highest RI: 37.7% |
22.2%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.4%±0.8Highest RI: 8.3% |
5.6%±0.8Lowest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $68,119±$3kLowest 22% below RI |
$68,310±$4kHighest 22% below RI |
| Pawtucket and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $362,200±$8kHighest 10% below RI |
$325,500±$8kLowest 19% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,408±$42Highest 5% above RI |
$1,208±$39Lowest 10% below RI |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,418Highest 10% below RI |
$4,115Lowest 16% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48%±2.8Highest RI: 48% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
| Providence and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 20.7%Highest RI: 11.2% |
13.3%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 41.4%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
50.1%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 24 yrs older than RI |
1947Highest 15 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest about the RI average |
26 minHighest about the RI average |
| Work from home | 14.3%±1.2Highest RI: 13% |
9.2%±1.5Lowest RI: 13% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #36 of 38 in RI | #35 of 38 in RI |
| School district | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket |
| High school in town | Classical High School | William E. Tolman High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.2Highest |
14.6Lowest |
| 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.