Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Exeter vs North Smithfield vs West Warwick
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
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 (17.2%).
North Smithfield has the oldest population (median age 45.5).
West Warwick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.2%).
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 | Exeter | North Smithfield | West Warwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 43,521Highest |
7,195Lowest |
12,708 |
31,173 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5% RI: +4.3% |
+0.5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+5.2% RI: +4.3% |
+6.2%Highest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 12% below RI |
37.7±5.9 7% below RI |
45.5±3.9Highest 12% above RI |
42.8±1.5 5% above RI |
| North Smithfield and West Warwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2Highest RI: 18.8% |
19.7%±4.7 RI: 18.8% |
19.2%±3.2 RI: 18.8% |
15.7%±2.3Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Woonsocket and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.4Lowest RI: 18.7% |
18.2%±3.8 RI: 18.7% |
20.9%±2.8Highest RI: 18.7% |
20%±2.1 RI: 18.7% |
| North Smithfield and West Warwick 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 RI: 37.7% |
46.1%Highest RI: 37.7% |
33.8% RI: 37.7% |
26.4% RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 RI: 8.3% |
11.1%±6.3Highest RI: 8.3% |
4.4%±1.3Lowest RI: 8.3% |
5.7%±1.3 RI: 8.3% |
| Exeter and West Warwick 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 30% below RI |
$111,250±$30kHighest 27% above RI |
$108,866±$12k 24% above RI |
$77,608±$7k 12% below RI |
| Exeter and North Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 23% below RI |
$509,200±$43kHighest 26% above RI |
$457,200±$21k 13% above RI |
$330,800±$12k 18% below RI |
| Exeter and North Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 13% below RI |
$1,317±$307Highest about the RI average |
$1,282±$531 4% below RI |
$1,303±$74 about the RI average |
| Exeter and West Warwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 19% below RI |
$5,881Highest 20% above RI |
$5,219 7% above RI |
$4,962 about the RI average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 RI: 48% |
91%±26.7Highest RI: 48% |
33.6%±11.4Lowest RI: 48% |
43.5%±7.8 RI: 48% |
| Below poverty line | 18.7%Highest RI: 11.2% |
12.8% RI: 11.2% |
4.8%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
9.6% RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
80.3%Highest RI: 63.6% |
77.9% RI: 63.6% |
57% RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 10 yrs older than RI |
1987Highest 25 yrs newer than RI |
1972 10 yrs newer than RI |
1968 6 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 15% above RI |
22 minLowest 12% below RI |
26 min 4% above RI |
25 min about the RI average |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest RI: 13% |
17.2%±6.1Highest RI: 13% |
14.2%±3.6 RI: 13% |
7.2%±2 RI: 13% |
| Exeter and North Smithfield 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 | #14 of 38 in RI | #13 of 38 in RI | #33 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Exeter-West Greenwich | North Smithfield | West Warwick |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | None in town | North Smitfield HS | West Warwick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
— | 12.1Lowest |
13.0 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
RI 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.