Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Lancaster vs West Warwick
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).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
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 | Lancaster | West Warwick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 43,521Highest |
8,606Lowest |
31,173 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
43.1±4.9Highest 11% above U.S. |
42.8±1.5 10% above U.S. |
| Lancaster 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 U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±4 U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.9%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
20%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| West Warwick and Lancaster 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% |
50.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
26.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| West Warwick 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. |
$134,833±$27kHighest 67% above U.S. |
$77,608±$7k 4% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$519,100±$60kHighest 56% above U.S. |
$330,800±$12k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$2,338±$539Highest 65% above U.S. |
$1,303±$74 8% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$7,235Highest 132% above U.S. |
$4,962 59% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.3%±36.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.5%±7.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lancaster 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% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
57% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 min 11% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
33.6%±9.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 38 in RI | #145 of 282 in MA | #33 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Nashoba | West Warwick |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | None in town | West Warwick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
— | 13.0Lowest |
| 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.