City · Rhode Island
Central Falls, Rhode Island
Central Falls, city, in Providence County, Rhode Island. Central Falls had 23,124 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 22,583 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 22,701 (±43). GEOID 4414140.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
23,124
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 22,583 · ACS 2020-2024: 22,701 ±43
Median household income
$49,285
±$8,160 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $87,796
Median home value
$352,100
±$30,455 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $404,200
Median gross rent
$1,200
±$75 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $1,342
Where is Central Falls and what county is it in?
Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island. It covers 1.2 square miles of land, 18,914 residents per square mile in 2020.
Central Falls is in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Central Falls, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 23,124 people lived in Central Falls on July 1, 2025, up 2.4% since 2020, faster than Rhode Island (+1.6%). The 2020 Census counted 22,583 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 22,701 (±43).
| Measure | Central Falls | Providence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 22,701 ±43 | 664,854 | +3,272 |
| Households | 7,683 ±531 | 259,210 | +1,562 |
| Average household size | 2.83 ±0.20 | 2.46 | −0.26 |
| Housing units | 8,426 ±536 | 277,740 | +1,310 |
Central Falls's population since 2000
From 18,928 in 2000 to 23,124 in 2025: up 22.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Central Falls as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Central Falls?
The median resident of Central Falls is 32.5 years old; 26.1% are under 18 and 10.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 69.1%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 15.1%. 44.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Central Falls | Providence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.5 ±2.3 | 38.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.1% ±2.5 pts | 20.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 10.7% ±2.3 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Male | 52.5% ±3.0 pts | 49.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 69.1% ±4.5 pts | 25.6% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 15.1% ±3.0 pts | 56.5% | −4.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.7% ±3.4 pts | 7.0% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.6% ±2.1 pts | 5.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.0 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 44.2% ±5.2 pts | 20.9% | +6.9 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 72.2% ±4.6 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.0% ±1.0 pts | 4.0% | – |
| With a disability | 17.4% ±2.8 pts | 14.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 17.1% ±4.2 pts | 5.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 61.2% ±4.9 pts | 86.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.8% ±2.5 pts | 32.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.3% ±0.9 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 79.8% ±4.8 pts | 87.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 7.4% ±3.6 pts | 3.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Central Falls earn?
Half of Central Falls's 7,683 households earn less than $49,285 a year (±$8,160), against $78,787 in Providence County and $87,796 in Rhode Island. In 2015-2019 the median was $40,591 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $8,694 after inflation. 24.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Central Falls | Providence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,285 ±$8,160 | $78,787 | +$8,694 |
| Mean household income | $59,182 ±$6,554 | $103,330 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,117 ±$2,206 | $41,523 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 24.6% ±5.2 pts | 13.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 33.3% ±10.3 pts | 17.3% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 30.7% ±5.5 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.6% ±4.0 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.5% ±4.1 pts | 90.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Central Falls?
Owners occupy 25.6% of Central Falls's occupied homes and renters 74.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $352,100 by its owner (±$30,455). The median renter pays $1,200 a month including utilities, and 43.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Central Falls | Providence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $352,100 ±$30,455 | $373,600 | +$156,297 |
| Median gross rent | $1,200 ±$75 | $1,312 | +$151 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.7% ±7.0 pts | 37.0% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,917 ±$98 | $2,152 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 25.6% ±5.1 pts | 56.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 74.4% ±5.1 pts | 43.1% | – |
| Housing units | 8,426 ±536 | 277,740 | +1,310 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.3% ±1.8 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 10.6% ±3.5 pts | 45.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.5% ±2.8 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 47.7% ±5.6 pts | 35.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 29.7% ±5.4 pts | 11.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Central Falls building?
Builders took permits for 65 new housing units in Central Falls in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 2.8 per 1,000 residents against 1.6 across Rhode Island.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Central Falls work and get to work?
59.3% of Central Falls's workers drive alone and 5.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 7.9%.
| Measure | Central Falls | Providence County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.7% ±4.6 pts | 65.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% ±2.9 pts | 6.6% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 59.3% ±7.2 pts | 70.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 13.7% ±4.6 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 4.9% ±3.0 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Walked | 3.6% ±2.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.2% ±2.1 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.4 min ±2.7 | 25.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Central Falls?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Central Falls (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $41,791 (Tract 111) to $53,361 (Tract 110).
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Central Falls) · Census block assignment files
How does Central Falls compare with other places in Rhode Island?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Central Falls is the 1,720th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 8th-most populous of 8 in Rhode Island.
Central Falls ranks 57th of 57 places in Rhode Island with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 8th | 8 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 12th | 39 |
| Residents per square mile | 1st | 57 |
| Median household income | 57th | 57 |
| Per capita income | 56th | 57 |
| Median home value | 50th | 56 |
| Median gross rent | 45th | 51 |
| Poverty rate | 1st | 45 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57th | 57 |
| Median age | 55th | 57 |
| Owner-occupied share | 56th | 56 |
| Work from home | 49th | 49 |
| Travel time to work | 18th | 57 |
Central Falls's figures with every place in Rhode Island (CSV)
Every place in Rhode Island, sortable · Compare Central Falls with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Central Falls?
9 of the 57 figures for Central Falls on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Central Falls are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Central Falls.