Pawtucket receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pawtucket
Woonsocket
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs37 · Bottom 13%
Growth
64 · Top 27%
vs45 · Bottom 40%
Climate
65 · Bottom 33%
vs65 · Bottom 33%
Physical resilience
72 · Top 33%
vs72 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 38%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Access
98 · Top 15%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Pawtucket | Woonsocket | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 75,893 | 43,521 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,310 | $61,059 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,248 | $31,639 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,757/sq mi | 5,619/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $325,500 | $311,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,208 | $1,161 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.1% | 37.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.6% | -2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 19.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.3% | 18.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 153 | 26 | 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% | 62.5% | 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 | 11 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 31.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 35.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 18 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.64 | 13.64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 8.1% | 7.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 20.6% | 16.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 76.2% | 67.6% | 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.
Your best match
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Pawtucket
68
Your Score
64
Area Score
Woonsocket
60
Your Score
57
Area Score
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Full profiles: Pawtucket, RI · Woonsocket, RI · How this is calculated: methodology