Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Bow vs Cumberland vs Blackstone
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Woonsocket has the most renters (62.8% rent).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Cumberland has the shortest commute (26 min average).
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 | Woonsocket | Bow | Cumberland | Blackstone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 43,521Highest |
8,335Lowest |
36,820 |
9,255 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
41.5±2 7% above U.S. |
43.5±1.2Highest 12% above U.S. |
43.2±1.7 11% above U.S. |
| Cumberland and Blackstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2 U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
21.8%±4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.5%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cumberland and Blackstone are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
31.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±0.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.6%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$117,522±$8k 46% above U.S. |
$94,191±$21k 17% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$431,000±$15k 30% above U.S. |
$404,400±$34k 22% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,379±$109 about the U.S. average |
$1,189±$85 16% below U.S. |
| Bow and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$4,870 56% above U.S. |
$5,703 83% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.9%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
65%±18.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Blackstone and Cumberland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
76.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 11% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
34 minHighest 28% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±2.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bow and Blackstone 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 | #37 of 38 in RI | #26 of 120 in NH | #18 of 38 in RI | #207 of 282 in MA |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Bow School District | Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy · Cumberland | Blackstone-Millville |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | Bow High School | Cumberland High School | Blackstone Millville RHS |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
12.8Lowest |
13.6 |
13.6 |
| 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.