City comparison
Cranston, RI is about 10 miles (10 km) from Pawtucket, RI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 12 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Cranston, RI to Pawtucket, RI takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Cranston has a population of 82,691, vs 75,176 in Pawtucket — about the same size. By land area, Cranston covers about 28 sq mi vs 8.7 sq mi for Pawtucket.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Cranston | Pawtucket | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,270/mo | $1,081/mo | 17.5% higher in Cranston |
| Median home value | $326,000 | $266,300 | 22.4% higher in Cranston |
| Median household income | $83,123 | $62,799 | 32.4% higher in Cranston |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 97.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 144.3 | 144.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 101.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 102.5 | 102.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cranston, you'd need $99,470 in Pawtucket to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Pawtucket, RI is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Cranston, RI, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Cranston, you'd need about $79,576 in Pawtucket to keep the same standard of living.