Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Smithfield vs West Warwick
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 kids (23.3% under 18).
Smithfield has the most people working from home (14%).
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 | Smithfield | West Warwick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 43,521Highest |
22,233Lowest |
31,173 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5% RI: +4.3% |
+3.2%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+6.2%Highest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 12% below RI |
41.8±2.6 about the RI average |
42.8±1.5Highest 5% above RI |
| West Warwick and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2Highest RI: 18.8% |
16.9%±2.4 RI: 18.8% |
15.7%±2.3Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±1.4Lowest RI: 18.7% |
21.1%±2.1Highest RI: 18.7% |
20%±2.1 RI: 18.7% |
| Smithfield and West Warwick 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 RI: 37.7% |
40%Highest RI: 37.7% |
26.4% RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9Lowest RI: 8.3% |
16.7%±0.9Highest RI: 8.3% |
5.7%±1.3 RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,059±$5kLowest 30% below RI |
$102,077±$8kHighest 16% above RI |
$77,608±$7k 12% below RI |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $311,000±$15kLowest 23% below RI |
$446,400±$12kHighest 10% above RI |
$330,800±$12k 18% below RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48 13% below RI |
$1,016±$241Lowest 24% below RI |
$1,303±$74Highest about the RI average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,960Lowest 19% below RI |
$5,207Highest 6% above RI |
$4,962 about the RI average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 RI: 48% |
57.1%±17.7Highest RI: 48% |
43.5%±7.8Lowest RI: 48% |
| Smithfield 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% |
6.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
9.6% RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
81.6%Highest RI: 63.6% |
57% RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 10 yrs older than RI |
1976Highest 14 yrs newer than RI |
1968 6 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 15% above RI |
25 minLowest 4% below RI |
25 min about the RI average |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest RI: 13% |
14%±3.1Highest RI: 13% |
7.2%±2 RI: 13% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #37 of 38 in RI | #8 of 38 in RI | #33 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Smithfield | West Warwick |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | Smithfield High School | West Warwick High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
11.8Lowest |
13.0 |
| 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.