Compare towns
Warwick vs Pawtucket vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Warwick has the most people working from home (12.4%).
Pawtucket has the most renters (49.9% rent).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
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 | Warwick | Pawtucket | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 83,175Highest |
75,893 |
15,141Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 44.3±1Highest 14% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
37±4.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 17.6%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Pawtucket and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.6%±1.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±0.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,708±$6kHighest 10% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4kLowest 15% below U.S. |
$76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
| Warwick and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $354,600±$5kHighest 7% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,363±$76Highest 4% below U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,616Highest 48% above U.S. |
$4,115Lowest 32% above U.S. |
$4,209 35% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53.1%±6.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Warwick and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 7% below U.S. |
26 min 3% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.4%±1.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Warwick and Plainfield 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 | #28 of 38 in RI | #35 of 38 in RI | #131 of 149 in CT |
| School district | Warwick | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Plainfield School District |
| High school in town | Pilgrim High School | William E. Tolman High | Plainfield High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.5 |
14.6Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| 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.