Pascoag, Rhode Island

Pascoag, Rhode Island
Census-designated place
Pascoag c. 1900
Location in Providence County, Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°57′27″N 71°42′21″W / 41.95750°N 71.70583°W / 41.95750; -71.70583
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Providence
Area [1]
• Total	5.56 sq mi (14.41 km2)
• Land	5.07 sq mi (13.13 km2)
• Water	0.49 sq mi (1.28 km2)
Elevation	427 ft (130 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	4,641
• Density	915.57/sq mi (353.48/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	02859
Area code	401
FIPS code	44-54460[3]
GNIS feature ID	1218912[4]

Pascoag (PASS-ko or PASS-kog^[5]) is a census-designated place (CDP) and village in Providence County, Rhode Island. The population was 4,577 at the 2010 census.^[6] Pascoag is one of eight villages that make up the town of Burrillville.

Pascoag is located at 41°57′27″N 71°42′21″W / 41.95750°N 71.70583°W / 41.95750; -71.70583 (41.957401, -71.705957).^[7] The village is centered on the Pascoag River at its outlet from the Pascoag Reservoir. The river drops 60 feet (18 m) through the village, providing ample power for industry in the village's early days. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.5 square miles; 5 square miles is land and 0.4 square miles (7.88%) is water.

The 2020 United States census counted 4,641 people, 1,811 households, and 1,189 families in Pascoag. The population density was 915.6 per square mile (353.5/km²). There were 1,978 housing units at an average density of 390.2 per square mile (150.7/km²).^[9][10] The racial makeup was 92.76% (4,305) white or European American (91.4% non-Hispanic white), 0.69% (32) black or African-American, 0.3% (14) Native American or Alaska Native, 0.39% (18) Asian, 0.06% (3) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 1.29% (60) from other races, and 4.5% (209) from two or more races.^[11] Hispanic or Latino of any race was 3.84% (178) of the population.^[12]

Of the 1,811 households, 34.6% had children under the age of 18; 46.4% were married couples living together; 24.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 24.0% of households consisted of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[9] The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.0.^[13] The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 18.6% of the population.^[14]

22.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 104.7 males.^[9] For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 108.2 males.^[9]

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $86,741 (with a margin of error of +/- $14,413) and the median family income was $89,398 (+/- $23,198). Males had a median income of $55,735 (+/- $16,984) versus $32,155 (+/- $12,092) for females.^[15] The median income for those above 16 years old was $45,846 (+/- $8,341).^[16] Approximately, 6.1% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under the age of 18 and 13.8% of those ages 65 or over.^[17][18]

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 4,742 people, 1,642 households, and 1,175 families residing in the village. The racial makeup was 98.33% White, 0.36% African American, 0.32% American Indian, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population. The population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. The median income for a household was $48,778, and the median income for a family was $54,391.

The name of Burrillville's principal village, Pascoag, named after the Pascoag River upon which it is located, probably derives from an Algonquian Indian root. The Nipmuc word for snake was rendered "askug" by Roger Williams in his A Key Into the Language of America, and "askoog" by the Reverend John Eliot in his Algonquian translation of the Bible.

Pascoag can trace its origins back to the first half of the 18th century, when a saw mill and other businesses were built in what is now the village center. In the 19th century, Pascoag became a textile manufacturing town, an industry that continued until after World War II. From 1891 until the 1930s the Woonsocket and Pascoag Railroad operated trains to Pascoag, but the line (currently operated by the Providence & Worcester Railroad) now terminates in Slatersville.

The horror author HP Lovecraft set part of his story "The Horror at Red Hook" (1925) in Pascoag.

Recent history includes an incident involving groundwater contamination. A test of the groundwater conducted on September 14, 2001, showed that the water contained the ether MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) at levels of over 350 ppb (parts per billion).^[19] This was the first public statement concerning the presence of MTBE in Pascoag drinking water, though residents claim to have detected it as early as May 2001. MTBE is a gasoline additive intended to enhance octane levels. It is believed to have come from leaking tanks at a local ExxonMobil gas station. As the situation was resolved over the following months, nearly 1,500 residents of Pascoag responded by filing a lawsuit against ExxonMobil through the law offices of Napoli, Kaiser, and Bern and Houston attorney Armistead Easterby.^[20] ExxonMobil signed off on a $7 million settlement with residents of Pascoag in May 2012, to cover the cost of having the Pascoag Public Utility District bore new wells.^[20]

• Pascoag Grammar School (1917)

• History of Pascoag
• Pascoag Public Library
• Pascoag Utility District
• Pascoag Riverwalk, at Town of Burrillville website
• [1] The Pascoag Cafe