Commercial Real Estate Market in Pawtucket, RI
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
166 active listings and 1,436 off-market properties in Pawtucket, RI. Commercial property asks $194/SF to buy and $13.48/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Pawtucket, RI spans 8.9 square miles in Providence County, Rhode Island. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office space in Pawtucket, RI asks $163/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 19.9% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 13.1% in 2019.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Retail
Retail space in Pawtucket, RI asks $177/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 6% across the Northeast region in 2025, little changed from 6% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 7.1%.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Pawtucket, RI runs 7.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 5.4% in 2019. Nearly 2.4x the 2021 low of 3.2%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Pawtucket, RI asks $203/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 4% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 58.9%
- Industrial 14.2%
- Open space 9.7%
- Commercial 6.2%
- Mixed use 4%
- Special 2.3%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Residential Single Family
Residential Multifamily
Residential Two Family
Industrial Open
Public Open
Pawtucket, RI zones 5,746 acres across 19 districts. Commercial zoning covers 6.2% of zoned land, residential 58.9%, open space 9.7% and industrial 14.2%. The largest single district is Residential Single Family at 23.9%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 20.4% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Residential Single Family (RS)
Residential Single-Family RS. This zone is intended to establish single-household dwellings where such single-household dwellings now prevail. C. Residential Two-Family RT. This zone is intended for neighborhoods consisting of interspersed one- and two-family dwellings. D. Residential Multifamily RM. This zone is intended to continue single-household and mul…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Pawtucket, RI has 75,727 residents in 33,395 households. Density runs 8,500 people per square mile. Median household income here is $68,441 and median gross rent $1,173 a month.
75,727
Population
33,395
Households
2.3
Avg Household Size
38
Median Age
24%
College-Educated
82%
High-School Grad
8.9 sq mi
ZIP Area
8,500
Density / Sq Mi
$68,441
Median Household Income
$44,003
Median Earnings
$1,173
Median Rent
$286,591
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $13.48/SF/Yr lease vs $194/SF buy → buying wins if held > 3.3 years.
The comparison uses county-wide sale comps against Pawtucket asking rents, so the implied 7% gross yield is computed off asking rents rather than a closed-deal cap-rate benchmark. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Central Falls | $194 (county avg) | — |
| Providence | $194 (county avg) | $27.13 |
| North Providence | $194 (county avg) | $30.61 |
| East Providence | $194 (county avg) | $15.48 |
Commercial property in Pawtucket, RI asks $194/SF. The 4 bordering markets run from $194/SF in Central Falls to $194/SF in Central Falls, and the city sits in line with their $194/SF median.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Pawtucket?
Commercial property in Pawtucket, RI asks an average of $194 per square foot. The 4 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $209/SF. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $203/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Pawtucket?
Asking lease rates in Pawtucket, RI average $13.48 per square foot per year.
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Pawtucket?
Buying beats leasing in Pawtucket, RI if the property is held longer than 3.3 years, comparing $13.48/SF/Yr asking rent with $194/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
How does Pawtucket compare to nearby markets on price?
Pawtucket, RI asks $194/SF against $194/SF in Central Falls, $194/SF in Providence, $194/SF in North Providence and $194/SF in East Providence.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Pawtucket?
Pawtucket, RI zones 5,746 acres across 19 districts, of which 6.2% is commercial and 14.2% industrial. The largest single district is Residential Single Family at 23.9% of zoned land. Residential Single-Family RS. This zone is intended to establish single-household dwellings where such single-household dwellings now prevail. C. Residential Two-Family RT. This zone is intended for neighborhoods consisting of interspersed one- and two-family dwellings. D. Residential Multifamily RM. This zone is intended to continue single-household and mul… Residential zoning covers 58.9% and open space 9.7%.
Where does Realmo's Pawtucket market data come from?
Realmo compiles Pawtucket, RI figures from 7 recent recorded sales, 146 active sale listings, 20 active lease listings, 1,436 tracked off-market properties, the current Pawtucket zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 146 active for-sale and 20 active for-lease listings in Pawtucket, RI. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Price per square foot
- The county-level $/SF blends closed sales aggregated over the trailing months of available data, not a single day's snapshot — it can differ from any one month's own median.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 5,746 zoned acres across 19 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- the lease-vs-buy comparison mixes county-wide sale comps with city asking rents, office vacancy is reported at Northeast region level, retail vacancy is reported at Northeast region level and industrial vacancy is reported at Northeast region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
