What it's like to live in Pawtucket
Pawtucket is a smaller city in Rhode Island with rent below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pawtucket deals with household incomes below the national average, cold winters, snowy winters, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 42" per year
- Above-average rainfall
How Pawtucket compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pawtucket
Based on Pawtucket's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,416
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,320 a year
- 45% of Pawtucket renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$65,100
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,550
- Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 15% below US
$1,208/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,208 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $325,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $325,500 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 19% above US
5.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 32% below US
224 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1240/100k · Pawtucket Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 38% below US
22% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
18 public schools inside the boundary
There are 18 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (0 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pawtucket's strongest points are rent below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,208/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Pawtucket
All Rhode Island guides →Moving to Central Falls →
1 mi away · pop. 22,701
Rent $1,200/mo · Income $49,285
Compare with Pawtucket →Moving to Valley Falls →
2 mi away · pop. 12,657
Rent $1,362/mo · Income $92,901
Compare with Pawtucket →Moving to Providence →
4 mi away · pop. 191,767
Rent $1,408/mo · Income $68,119
Compare with Pawtucket →Not sure Pawtucket is the one?
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