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Place dossier plate
SheetRI-PROVIDENCE-RI · Providence, RI 190,214 pop · income 45th pct · 145 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Providence
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Providence on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Akron · lowest
48,544
Akron · lowest
48,544 median HH income
55.3% of the leader · rank #1
Gilcrest · near
66,771
Gilcrest · near
66,771 median HH income
76.1% of the leader · rank #2
Heritage Pines · near
66,771
Heritage Pines · near
66,771 median HH income
76.1% of the leader · rank #3
Wabasso · near
66,771
Wabasso · near
66,771 median HH income
76.1% of the leader · rank #4
Pillager · near
66,771
Pillager · near
66,771 median HH income
76.1% of the leader · rank #5
Providence · this city
66,772
Providence · this city
66,772 median HH income
76.1% of the leader · rank #6
Cranston · highest
87,716
Cranston · highest
87,716 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Providence on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 190,214.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Providence - the verdict
Nationally, Providence sits in the 45th percentile for household income and the 34th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
45th
percentile, household income
68th
percentile, home value
86th
percentile, median rent
34th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Providence, RI
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 190,214 residents in Providence, a mid-sized U.S. city within Rhode Island. Households in Providence report a median income of $66,772 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.9%. Providence's housing stock carries a median value of $322,800, and the median resident age is 32.9 years. About 34.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 269 residential building permits were authorized in Providence (Rapid Growth), up 37% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1934.6 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Rhode Island tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Rhode Island at 102.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,729 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $318 across Rhode Island, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 56.6 out of 100 (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Providence's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to housing and income to schools and households to comparison shortlist to reported crime to within-city variation to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Providence, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
Is Providence growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +4,597 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 269 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
How far does income reach against housing in Providence?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Providence?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Rhode Island, the closest population matches are Warwick (82,871 residents, $87,536 income); Cranston (82,632 residents, $87,716 income); Pawtucket (75,280 residents, $67,436 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Akron, OH (189,526 residents); Glendale, CA (192,270 residents); Brownsville, TX (188,023 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What can 145 Census tracts reveal inside Providence?
PlainCities matches 145 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Providence?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 61 public schools within the city match. 34.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
14.9%
Bachelor's degree+
34.7%
Matched public schools
61
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Providence?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1934.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 15% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1934.6
Violent rate
276.7
Property rate
1657.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Providence?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 62.6%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
62.6%
Work from home
12.7%
Public transit
4.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 89,656 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 14.9% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
102.3 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Rhode Island average
F
City profile score · Providence, RI
39/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B-
34.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income D
$66,772
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
277 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
102.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate F
14.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Providence profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 66/100 (B-) · 34.7%
Household income: 45/100 (D) · $66,772
Violent crime: 36/100 (F) · 277 /100k
Cost of living: 30/100 (F) · 102.3 index
Poverty rate: 23/100 (F) · 14.9%
Where Providence sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Providence's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Providence highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Providence, RI (this city): home $322,800, crime 1,935/100k
Akron, OH : home $111,200, crime 3,775/100k
Glendale, CA : home $1,043,900, crime 2,314/100k
Brownsville, TX : home $122,400, crime 2,398/100k
Vancouver, WA : home $440,300, crime 3,990/100k
Knoxville, TN : home $214,000, crime 3,462/100k
Tempe, AZ : home $421,900, crime 3,364/100k
Warwick, RI : home $322,000, crime 1,227/100k
Cranston, RI : home $348,800, crime 1,145/100k
Pawtucket, RI : home $286,200, crime 1,819/100k
East Providence, RI : home $322,100, crime 755/100k
Woonsocket, RI : home $268,000, crime 1,891/100k
Newport, RI : home $669,500, crime 1,667/100k
How does Providence compare to other US cities?
Where Providence sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income45% higher than other cities
Home value68% pricier than other cities
Median rent86% pricier than other cities
Safety34% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Rhode Island and the picture shifts: Providence ranks #11 of 11 Rhode Island cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Providence against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Rhode Island only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Rhode Island-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Providence near the bottom of Rhode Island's cities
Among the 36 Rhode Island cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Providence ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Providence only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#29 of 33
12th percentile in Rhode Island
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 36
0th percentile in Rhode Island
Median Home Value
#26 of 35
26th percentile in Rhode Island
Poverty Rate
#3 of 36
92nd percentile in Rhode Island
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#23 of 36
36th percentile in Rhode Island
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Rhode Island only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
45th percentile nationally for median household income · 34th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Providence's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Providence's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Providence's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$322,80032nd percentilemore affordable than 32% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Providence's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,609 of 15,516
More affordable than 19% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#432 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 4.8×, Providence sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,609 of 15,516 and #432 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$66,772Providence, RI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Providence, RI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Providence, RI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)34.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)14.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
190,214
Median Income
$66,772
Median Home Value
$322,800
Median Age
32.9
Poverty Rate
14.9%
Labor force participation
59.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1934.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
276.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1657.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
61
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Providence's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
190,713 residents
2021
190,134 residents
2022
190,527 residents
2023
191,987 residents
2024
194,242 residents
2025
195,310 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
269
housing units authorized
Single-Family
31
detached homes
Multifamily
238
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
197
14
183
$12.7M
2020
213
18
195
$28.9M
2021
54
1
53
$3.9M
2022
299
28
271
$43.0M
2023
5
0
5
$0.5M
2024
269
31
238
$30.8M
Permit volume increased 37% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
62.6%
Carpool
9.8%
Public Transit
4.2%
Walk
7.3%
Work from Home
12.7%
Other
3.4%
Based on 89,656 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Rhode Island statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $318
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Rhode Island at $318 (electricity about $155 , water and sewer about $58 ).
These are Rhode Island statewide averages, not a meter reading for Providence. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Rhode Island's BEA cost-of-living index is 102.3 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Providence is $1,729/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Rhode Island statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 56.6 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Rhode Island statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Providence sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Providence compares to similar-size Rhode Island cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.