Cranston vs Pawtucket
Cranston, Rhode Island versus Pawtucket, Rhode Island: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cranston and Pawtucket score about the same overall (50 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cranston | Pawtucket |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $83k | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $50k |
| Home Value | $326k | $266k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.56% | 1.48% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.43% | 14.60% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% | 6.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 30°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.5 in | 50.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.6 in | 41.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 185 days | 185 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 108 days | 94 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 38.3 | 26.0 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 76.0 | 82.7 |
| Violent Crime | 506/100k | 1178/100k |
| Property Crime | 1156/100k | 2254/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 82,691 | 75,176 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 37.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.46 | 0.65 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.01 | 1.03 |
| Political Leaning | D+23 | D+23 |
| White (%) | 66.3% | 45.8% |
| Black (%) | 4.5% | 14.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 18.3% | 25.8% |
| Asian (%) | 6.7% | 1.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.2% | 12.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 14.2/20 | 15.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 4 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.9% | 86.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 53.09 | 63.58 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cranston or Pawtucket more affordable?
- Pawtucket has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Cranston's $50k and Pawtucket's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Cranston versus $1k in Pawtucket.
- Is Cranston or Pawtucket safer?
- Cranston has the lower violent crime rate. Cranston reports 506/100k and Pawtucket reports 1178/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cranston or Pawtucket?
- The median home value is $326k in Cranston and $266k in Pawtucket, so homes are more affordable in Pawtucket.