Compare towns
Smithfield vs Pawtucket
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Smithfield has the most homeowners (81.6%).
Pawtucket has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).
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 | Smithfield | Pawtucket |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 22,233Lowest |
75,893Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+6.3%Highest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 41.8±2.6Highest about the RI average |
37.1±0.8Lowest 9% below RI |
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±2.4Lowest RI: 18.8% |
22.4%±1.6Highest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±2.1Highest RI: 18.7% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40%Highest RI: 37.7% |
22.2%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 16.7%±0.9Highest RI: 8.3% |
5.6%±0.8Lowest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $102,077±$8kHighest 16% above RI |
$68,310±$4kLowest 22% below RI |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $446,400±$12kHighest 10% above RI |
$325,500±$8kLowest 19% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,016±$241Lowest 24% below RI |
$1,208±$39Highest 10% 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 | $5,207Highest 6% above RI |
$4,115Lowest 16% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.1%±17.7Highest RI: 48% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest 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 | 6.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
13.3%Highest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 81.6%Highest RI: 63.6% |
50.1%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 14 yrs newer than RI |
1947Lowest 15 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 4% below RI |
26 minHighest about the RI average |
| Work from home | 14%±3.1Highest RI: 13% |
9.2%±1.5Lowest RI: 13% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #8 of 38 in RI | #35 of 38 in RI |
| School district | Smithfield | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket |
| High school in town | Smithfield High School | William E. Tolman High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.8Lowest |
14.6Highest |
| 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.