Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Canton 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).
Canton has the most people working from home (25.7%).
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 | Canton | Pawtucket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 43,521 |
24,748Lowest |
75,893Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+13%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
42.6±2.3Highest 10% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±2.3 U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Canton 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% |
18.8%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
67.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Pawtucket 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. |
$143,381±$9kHighest 78% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$710,600±$27kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$2,315±$178Highest 64% above U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$6,560Highest 110% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.4%±9.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Canton and Woonsocket 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% |
5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 11% above U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.7%±3.3Highest 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 | #81 of 282 in MA | #35 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical · Canton | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | Canton High | William E. Tolman High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
13.1Lowest |
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.