Compare towns
Woonsocket vs Suffield vs Pawtucket vs North Smithfield
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).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
Pawtucket has the oldest housing (typical home built 1947).
North Smithfield has the most expensive homes ($457k median).
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 | Suffield | Pawtucket | North Smithfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 43,521 |
15,702 |
75,893Highest |
12,708Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +6.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.7±1.3Lowest 8% below U.S. |
44.5±1.7 14% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8 5% below U.S. |
45.5±3.9Highest 17% above U.S. |
| North Smithfield and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 23.3%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6 U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Woonsocket and Pawtucket 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% |
18.4%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| North Smithfield and Suffield 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% |
40.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
33.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| 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 24% below U.S. |
$119,472±$13kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4k 15% below U.S. |
$108,866±$12k 35% above U.S. |
| Suffield and North Smithfield 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. |
$407,500±$26k 22% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8k about the U.S. average |
$457,200±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,161±$48Lowest 18% below U.S. |
$1,424±$141Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,208±$39 15% below U.S. |
$1,282±$531 9% below U.S. |
| Suffield and North Smithfield 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. |
$6,456Highest 107% above U.S. |
$4,115 32% above U.S. |
$5,219 67% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.7%±5.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
51%±4.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
33.6%±11.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Suffield 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% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 37.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
77.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minHighest 11% above U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 6.4%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.2%±3.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Suffield and North Smithfield 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 | #57 of 149 in CT | #35 of 38 in RI | #13 of 38 in RI |
| School district | RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket | Suffield School District | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | North Smithfield |
| High school in town | Woonsocket High School | Suffield High School | William E. Tolman High | North Smitfield HS |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.2Highest |
10.9Lowest |
14.6 |
12.1 |
| 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.