Cranston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pawtucket
Cranston
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs61 · Top 39%
Growth
64 · Top 27%
vs43 · Bottom 37%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs65 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 33%
vs72 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 38%
vs86 · Top 41%
Access
98 · Top 15%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs66 · Top 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Pawtucket | Cranston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 75,893 | 83,250 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,310 | $90,206 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,248 | $45,258 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,757/sq mi | 2,937/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $325,500 | $378,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,208 | $1,375 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.1% | 67.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.6% | -2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 36.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.3% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 153 | 54 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7550.0% | 3.8% | 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 | 11 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 26.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 39.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.64 | 13.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 8.1% | 15.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 20.6% | 34.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 76.2% | 56.7% | 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: Pawtucket, RI · Cranston, RI · How this is calculated: methodology