02909 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
02895
02909
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 13%
vs43 · Bottom 25%
Growth
43 · Bottom 38%
vs50 · Top 50%
Climate
65 · Bottom 34%
vs65 · Bottom 34%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 33%
vs72 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 30%
vs60 · Bottom 23%
Schools
25 · Bottom 17%
vs29 · Bottom 22%
Access
93 · Top 50%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 22%
vs44 · Bottom 24%
Measured values
| Metric | 02895 | 02909 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,521 | 46,014 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,059 | $64,649 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,639 | $28,721 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,605/sq mi | 14,701/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $311,000 | $325,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,161 | $1,366 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 37.2% | 39.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.6% | -2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 22.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.7% | 24.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 363 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 62.5% | 33.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 47.5" | 47.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 29.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.7 | 32.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.64 | 15.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 7.5% | 8.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 16.9% | 17.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 67.6% | 85.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: 02895 — Woonsocket, RI · 02909 — Providence, RI · How this is calculated: methodology