Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Bow vs Pawtucket
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).
Pawtucket 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 | Pawtucket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 43,521 |
8,335Lowest |
75,893Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2 U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bow and Woonsocket 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% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket 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% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 38 in RI | #26 of 120 in NH | #35 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Bow School District | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | Bow High School | William E. Tolman High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
12.8Lowest |
14.6 |
| 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.