Compare towns

Woonsocket vs Voluntown vs Blackstone

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).
Voluntown has the most homeowners (83.5%).
Blackstone has the most people working from home (17.4%).

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.

MeasureWoonsocketVoluntownBlackstone
People
Population
43,521Highest
2,604Lowest
9,255
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+5%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
—
+2%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
35.7±1.3Lowest
8% below U.S.
48.3±1.7Highest
24% above U.S.
43.2±1.7
11% above U.S.
Kids under 18
23.3%±2Highest
U.S.: 22%
16.4%±3.5Lowest
U.S.: 22%
21.8%±4
U.S.: 22%
Woonsocket and Blackstone 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%
17.6%±3
U.S.: 17.2%
18.5%±4.2Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
Blackstone and Voluntown 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%
26.7%
U.S.: 35.7%
31.9%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
5.1%±0.9Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
3.4%±1.6
U.S.: 6.4%
1.6%±0.9Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
Woonsocket and Voluntown 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.
$101,964±$25kHighest
26% above U.S.
$94,191±$21k
17% above U.S.
Voluntown and Blackstone 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.
$356,100±$16k
7% above U.S.
$404,400±$34kHighest
22% above U.S.
Blackstone and Voluntown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,161±$48Lowest
18% below U.S.
$1,166±$191
17% below U.S.
$1,189±$85Highest
16% below U.S.
Blackstone and Voluntown 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.
$4,955
59% above U.S.
$5,703Highest
83% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
46.7%±5.4
U.S.: 51.1%
42.9%±24.3Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
65%±18.3Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
Blackstone 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%
7.3%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
8%
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
37.2%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
83.5%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
73.2%
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1952Lowest
28 yrs older than U.S.
1983Highest
3 yrs newer than U.S.
1967
13 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
29 minLowest
11% above U.S.
31 min
19% above U.S.
34 minHighest
28% above U.S.
Work from home
6.4%±1.7Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
8.9%±5.4
U.S.: 15.1%
17.4%±4.7Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
Blackstone and Voluntown 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 #53 of 149 in CT #207 of 282 in MA
School district RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket Voluntown School District Blackstone-Millville
High school in town Woonsocket High School None in town Blackstone Millville RHS
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.