Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Mansfield vs Central Falls 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 affordable homes ($311k median).
Mansfield has the most people working from home (28.3%).
Central Falls has the most renters (74.4% rent).
Pawtucket has the oldest population (median age 37.1).
Mansfield is a college town. 57% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Mansfield | Central Falls | Pawtucket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 43,521 |
25,358 |
22,701Lowest |
75,893Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +16.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3 8% below U.S. |
21.2±0.2Lowest 46% below U.S. |
32.5±2.3 16% below U.S. |
37.1±0.8Highest 5% below U.S. |
| Pawtucket and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2 U.S.: 22% |
9.2%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
26.1%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Central Falls and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
11%±1.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
10.7%±2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
57.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
10.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
57%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.6%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $61,059±$5k 24% below U.S. |
$72,393±$12kHighest 10% below U.S. |
$49,285±$8kLowest 39% below U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
| Mansfield and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$335,400±$20k about the U.S. average |
$352,100±$30kHighest 6% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
| Central Falls and Mansfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,602±$104Highest 13% above U.S. |
$1,200±$75 15% below U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960 27% above U.S. |
$5,727Highest 84% above U.S. |
$3,744Lowest 20% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
76%±9.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.7%±8.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 18.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
21.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
24.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
57.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
25.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S. |
1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
21 minLowest 22% below U.S. |
27 min 4% above U.S. |
26 min 3% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
28.3%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
5.2%±2Lowest 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 | #45 of 149 in CT | #38 of 38 in RI | #35 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Regional School District 19 · Mansfield School District | Learning Community · Segue Institute for Learning | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | E. O. Smith High School | Central Falls Sr High | William E. Tolman High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
11.8Lowest |
14.6 |
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.