Compare towns
Woonsocket vs New Salem vs Cumberland
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).
New Salem has the most people working from home (19.4%).
Cumberland has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).
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 | New Salem | Cumberland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 43,521Highest |
1,054Lowest |
36,820 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5% U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
55.6±2.4Highest 43% above U.S. |
43.5±1.2 12% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2 U.S.: 22% |
14.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.4%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Cumberland and Woonsocket 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% |
23.7%±6.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.9%±1.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Salem and Cumberland 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% |
35.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Woonsocket and New Salem 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. |
$79,688±$19k about the U.S. average |
$117,522±$8kHighest 46% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$359,000±$40k 8% above U.S. |
$431,000±$15kHighest 30% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,194±$88 15% below U.S. |
$1,379±$109Highest about the U.S. average |
| Cumberland and New Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$4,509 45% above U.S. |
$4,870Highest 56% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
86.7%±25.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.9%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 18.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
9.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
76.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 12% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.4%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±2.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| New Salem and Cumberland 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 | — | #18 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | — | Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy · Cumberland |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | — | Cumberland High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
— | 13.6Lowest |
| 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.