Population 43,172 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Woonsocket
Household size in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.40 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.49 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.05 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Woonsocket has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.45, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the southeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.6 | 39.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.8 | 41.4 | 41.4 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.7 | 41.7 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +2.2 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Woonsocket is 37.7 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the southeast. Only two of the 43 Rhode Island cities with 5,000+ people are younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9% | 12.5% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 12.4% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.3% | 11.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.1% | 12.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than one in five households in Woonsocket (22.1%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 3.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only one other Rhode Island city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Woonsocket
Renters in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.0% | 37.0% | 37.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 60.7% | 39.0% | 39.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 63.5% | 38.6% | 39.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 62.8% | 36.8% | 36.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Woonsocket: 62.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 31.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only one other Rhode Island city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 10.3% | 11.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 10.5% | 11.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 10.7% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Woonsocket as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Providence area overall (7.9%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.1 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1959 | 1957 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1944 | 1959 | 1958 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1948 | 1960 | 1959 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Woonsocket is a place of older homes: half were built before 1953, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1944 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $753 | $928 | $941 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $784 | $974 | $988 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $898 | $1,103 | $1,123 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,223 | $1,439 | $1,448 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$471 | +$511 | +$507 | +$606 |
Rent in Woonsocket runs $1,223 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $471 a month since 2006–10, up 63%, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 29.4% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Woonsocket
Bachelor's degrees in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 28.5% | 30.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 29.6% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 32.4% | 34.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 35.2% | 37.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Woonsocket have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 6.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only one other Rhode Island city with 5,000+ people has a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.9% | 82.1% | 83.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.9% | 83.9% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.5% | 87.5% | 88.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.0% | 88.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +6.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Woonsocket never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 10.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only two of the 43 Rhode Island cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Woonsocket
| Period | Woonsocket | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 8.5% | 8.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 10.0% | 9.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Woonsocket than nationally: unemployment was 6.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Woonsocket compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woonsocket | 2.54 | 37.7 | 22.1% | 62.8% | 9.4% | 1953 | $1,223 | 19.2% | 83.0% | 6.5% |
| Blackstone | 2.39 | 43.1 | 11.3% | 27.4% | 4.4% | 1970 | $1,257 | 30.2% | 95.3% | 2.6% |
| North Smithfield | 2.50 | 45.5 | 8.4% | 24.2% | 5.1% | 1971 | $1,138 | 33.4% | 93.8% | 2.7% |
| Manville | 2.72 | 40.0 | 14.7% | 34.0% | 4.7% | 1963 | $1,706 | 36.9% | 90.9% | 9.8% |
| Cumberland Hill | 2.58 | 41.5 | 7.4% | 16.5% | 2.4% | 1979 | $1,330 | 48.2% | 95.2% | 3.3% |
| Millville | 2.66 | 44.6 | 4.6% | 13.4% | 2.1% | 1970 | $1,449 | 31.5% | 93.6% | 3.0% |
| Bellingham | 2.73 | 41.5 | 12.7% | 21.2% | 7.2% | 1973 | $1,734 | 39.1% | 94.5% | 7.7% |
| Cumberland | 2.58 | 46.0 | 6.3% | 20.5% | 8.3% | 1982 | $1,457 | 53.8% | 97.2% | 2.6% |
| Slatersville | 2.73 | 41.2 | 4.2% | 23.8% | 4.1% | 1967 | $1,160 | 25.0% | 85.6% | 3.8% |
| Stillwater | 2.83 | 42.5 | 5.5% | 9.3% | 2.9% | 1972 | $979 | 38.3% | 94.2% | 3.3% |
| Mendon | 2.96 | 44.7 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 7.8% | 1984 | $1,798 | 47.6% | 94.5% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
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About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Woonsocket. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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