Compare towns

Woonsocket vs Windham vs West Warwick vs Central Falls

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 affordable homes ($311k median).
Windham has the most people working from home (21.9%).
West Warwick has the shortest commute (25 min average).
Central Falls has the most renters (74.4% rent).

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.

MeasureWoonsocketWindhamWest WarwickCentral Falls
People
Population
43,521Highest
16,038Lowest
31,173
22,701
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
+5%Lowest
U.S.: +7.4%
+16.4%
U.S.: +7.4%
+6.2%
U.S.: +7.4%
+16.6%Highest
U.S.: +7.4%
Median age
35.7±1.3
8% below U.S.
41.1±2.9
6% above U.S.
42.8±1.5Highest
10% above U.S.
32.5±2.3Lowest
16% below U.S.
West Warwick and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
23.3%±2
U.S.: 22%
27.4%±3.3Highest
U.S.: 22%
15.7%±2.3Lowest
U.S.: 22%
26.1%±3.7
U.S.: 22%
Windham and Central Falls 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%
15.5%±2.6
U.S.: 17.2%
20%±2.1Highest
U.S.: 17.2%
10.7%±2Lowest
U.S.: 17.2%
West Warwick and Windham 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%
62.7%Highest
U.S.: 35.7%
26.4%
U.S.: 35.7%
10.8%Lowest
U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
5.1%±0.9
U.S.: 6.4%
3.8%±1.8Lowest
U.S.: 6.4%
5.7%±1.3Highest
U.S.: 6.4%
4.6%±1.7
U.S.: 6.4%
West Warwick 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±$5k
24% below U.S.
$189,583±$19kHighest
135% above U.S.
$77,608±$7k
4% below U.S.
$49,285±$8kLowest
39% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$311,000±$15kLowest
7% below U.S.
$723,300±$50kHighest
117% above U.S.
$330,800±$12k
about the U.S. average
$352,100±$30k
6% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$1,161±$48Lowest
18% below U.S.
$3,218±$350Highest
128% above U.S.
$1,303±$74
8% below U.S.
$1,200±$75
15% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly
$3,960
27% above U.S.
$10,000+Highest
at least 221% above U.S.
$4,962
59% above U.S.
$3,744Lowest
20% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
46.7%±5.4
U.S.: 51.1%
52.2%±50.9
U.S.: 51.1%
43.5%±7.8Lowest
U.S.: 51.1%
56.7%±8.2Highest
U.S.: 51.1%
Central Falls and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line
18.7%
U.S.: 12.5%
2%Lowest
U.S.: 12.5%
9.6%
U.S.: 12.5%
24.6%Highest
U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
37.2%
U.S.: 65.2%
93.9%Highest
U.S.: 65.2%
57%
U.S.: 65.2%
25.6%Lowest
U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year
1952
28 yrs older than U.S.
1996Highest
16 yrs newer than U.S.
1968
12 yrs older than U.S.
1944Lowest
36 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
29 min
11% above U.S.
31 minHighest
17% above U.S.
25 minLowest
5% below U.S.
27 min
4% above U.S.
Work from home
6.4%±1.7
U.S.: 15.1%
21.9%±4.4Highest
U.S.: 15.1%
7.2%±2
U.S.: 15.1%
5.2%±2Lowest
U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #37 of 38 in RI #13 of 120 in NH #33 of 38 in RI #38 of 38 in RI
School district RISE Prep Mayoral Academy · Woonsocket Windham School District West Warwick Learning Community · Segue Institute for Learning
High school in town Woonsocket High School Windham High School West Warwick High School Central Falls Sr High
Students per teacherat that high school
15.2Highest
12.8Lowest
13.0
14.6
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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.