Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Chaplin vs Plainville 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).
Chaplin has the most people working from home (18.1%).
Plainville has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Pawtucket has the most expensive homes ($326k 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 | Woonsocket | Chaplin | Plainville | Pawtucket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 43,521 |
2,070Lowest |
17,551 |
75,893Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | — | +6.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
43.7±4.8 12% above U.S. |
44.3±1.5Highest 14% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
| Plainville and Chaplin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
15.6%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket 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% |
20.9%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.1%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Chaplin and Plainville 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% |
25.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
30%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
10.1%±6.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Chaplin and Plainville 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. |
$97,846±$14kHighest 21% above U.S. |
$84,343±$7k 4% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
| Chaplin and Plainville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15k 7% below U.S. |
$255,200±$24k 23% below U.S. |
$254,000±$14kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$325,500±$8kHighest about the U.S. average |
| Pawtucket and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48 18% below U.S. |
$1,473±$275Highest 4% above U.S. |
$1,126±$147Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
| Chaplin and Pawtucket 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. |
$4,524 45% above U.S. |
$4,798Highest 54% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
33.6%±27.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.4 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% |
5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 11% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 20% below U.S. |
26 min 3% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.1%±10Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.7%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Chaplin and Plainville 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 | — | #89 of 149 in CT | #35 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Chaplin School District · Regional School District 11 | Judicial Centers · Plainville School District | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | Parish Hill High School | Plainville High School | William E. Tolman High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
7.5Lowest |
11.4 |
14.6 |
| 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.