Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Plainfield vs Pawtucket 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).
Plainfield has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
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 | Plainfield | Pawtucket | Cumberland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 43,521 |
15,141Lowest |
75,893Highest |
36,820 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
37±4.5 5% below U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
43.5±1.2Highest 12% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2 U.S.: 22% |
19.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6 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%±1.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.6%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Cumberland and Plainfield 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% |
15%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $61,059±$5kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$76,993±$8k 5% below U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$117,522±$8kHighest 46% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15k 7% below U.S. |
$272,100±$16kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$431,000±$15kHighest 30% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,204±$70 15% below U.S. |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,379±$109Highest about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 27% above U.S. |
$4,209 35% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
$4,870Highest 56% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
39.8%±9.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
47.9%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
8.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
76.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.8%±2.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Cumberland and Plainfield 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 | #131 of 149 in CT | #35 of 38 in RI | #18 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Plainfield School District | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Blackstone Valley Prep A RI Mayoral Academy · Cumberland |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | Plainfield High School | William E. Tolman High | Cumberland High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
10.3Lowest |
14.6 |
13.6 |
| 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.