Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Pawtucket vs Cumberland
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).
Pawtucket has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Cumberland has the highest household income ($118k).
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 | Pawtucket | Cumberland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 43,521 |
75,893Highest |
36,820Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+6.3% RI: +4.3% |
+8.7%Highest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 12% below RI |
37.1±0.8 9% below RI |
43.5±1.2Highest 7% above RI |
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2 RI: 18.8% |
22.4%±1.6Lowest RI: 18.8% |
23.4%±2.4Highest RI: 18.8% |
| Cumberland and Woonsocket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.4 RI: 18.7% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest RI: 18.7% |
18.9%±1.7Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 19.8%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
22.2% RI: 37.7% |
44.8%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 RI: 8.3% |
5.6%±0.8Highest RI: 8.3% |
3.1%±0.7Lowest RI: 8.3% |
| Pawtucket 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 30% below RI |
$68,310±$4k 22% below RI |
$117,522±$8kHighest 34% above RI |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 23% below RI |
$325,500±$8k 19% below RI |
$431,000±$15kHighest 7% above RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 13% below RI |
$1,208±$39 10% below RI |
$1,379±$109Highest about the RI average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 19% below RI |
$4,115 16% below RI |
$4,870Highest about the RI average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 RI: 48% |
45.9%±4.4Lowest RI: 48% |
47.9%±9.2Highest RI: 48% |
| Cumberland 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 RI: 11.2% |
13.3% RI: 11.2% |
3.9%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
50.1% RI: 63.6% |
76.3%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952 10 yrs older than RI |
1947Lowest 15 yrs older than RI |
1972Highest 10 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 15% above RI |
26 minLowest about the RI average |
26 min 3% above RI |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest RI: 13% |
9.2%±1.5 RI: 13% |
14.8%±2.4Highest RI: 13% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 38 in RI | #35 of 38 in RI | #18 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy · Cumberland |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | William E. Tolman High | Cumberland High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
14.6 |
13.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.