Compare towns

Woonsocket vs Exeter 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).
Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).
Pawtucket has the oldest housing (typical home built 1947).

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.

MeasureWoonsocketExeterPawtucket
People
Population
43,521
16,151Lowest
75,893Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+5%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
+12.2%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
+6.3%
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
35.7±1.3Lowest
8% below U.S.
45.8±2.3Highest
18% above U.S.
37.1±0.8
5% below U.S.
Kids under 18
23.3%±2Highest
U.S.: 22%
17%±2.7Lowest
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%
24.4%±2.8Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
14.5%±1.1Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
19.8%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
59.2%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
22.2%
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
5.1%±0.9Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
6.1%±1.8Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
5.6%±0.8
U.S.: 6.4%
Exeter and Pawtucket 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.
$110,346±$13kHighest
37% above U.S.
$68,310±$4k
15% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$311,000±$15kLowest
7% below U.S.
$456,600±$21kHighest
37% above U.S.
$325,500±$8k
about the U.S. average
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,161±$48Lowest
18% below U.S.
$1,856±$223Highest
31% above U.S.
$1,208±$39
15% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$3,960Lowest
27% above U.S.
$8,814Highest
183% above U.S.
$4,115
32% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
46.7%±5.4
U.S.: 51.1%
59%±11.3Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
45.9%±4.4Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
Exeter 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%
4.7%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
13.3%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
37.2%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
69.1%Highest
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.
1947Lowest
33 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
29 minHighest
11% above U.S.
25 minLowest
6% below U.S.
26 min
3% below U.S.
Work from home
6.4%±1.7Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
19.9%±3.7Highest
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 #22 of 120 in NH #35 of 38 in RI
School district RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket
High school in town Woonsocket High School Exeter High School William E. Tolman High
Students per teacherat that high school
15.2Highest
12.1Lowest
14.6
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History None yet 59 photos → 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.