Compare towns

Woonsocket vs Hamilton 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).
Hamilton has the most people working from home (26.3%).
Pawtucket has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).

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.

MeasureWoonsocketHamiltonPawtucket
People
Population
43,521
7,600Lowest
75,893Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+5%
U.S.: +7.4%
-2.6%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
+6.3%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
35.7±1.3Lowest
8% below U.S.
43.5±2.1Highest
12% above U.S.
37.1±0.8
5% below U.S.
Kids under 18
23.3%±2
U.S.: 22%
24%±3.5Highest
U.S.: 22%
22.4%±1.6Lowest
U.S.: 22%
Hamilton 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%
21.9%±3.8Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
14.5%±1.1Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
19.8%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
68.8%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
22.2%
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
5.1%±0.9Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
6.7%±1.6Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
5.6%±0.8
U.S.: 6.4%
Hamilton 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.
$129,833±$14kHighest
61% above U.S.
$68,310±$4k
15% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$311,000±$15kLowest
7% below U.S.
$720,000±$36kHighest
116% above U.S.
$325,500±$8k
about the U.S. average
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,161±$48Lowest
18% below U.S.
$1,794±$394Highest
27% above U.S.
$1,208±$39
15% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$3,960Lowest
27% above U.S.
$10,000+Highest
at least 221% above U.S.
$4,115
32% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
46.7%±5.4
U.S.: 51.1%
65.8%±23.6Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
45.9%±4.4Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
Hamilton 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%
7.8%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
13.3%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
37.2%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
84.7%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
50.1%
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1952
28 yrs older than U.S.
1958Highest
22 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
22% above U.S.
26 minLowest
3% below U.S.
Work from home
6.4%±1.7Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
26.3%±5.1Highest
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 #36 of 282 in MA #35 of 38 in RI
School district RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket Hamilton-Wenham Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket
High school in town Woonsocket High School Hamilton-Wenham Regional High William E. Tolman High
Students per teacherat that high school
15.2Highest
11.8Lowest
14.6
On TownTapestry
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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.