City profile · Rhode Island · Census ACS 2023

Cranston, RI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Cranston - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

82,632
Residents
$87,716
Median income
$348,800
Median home
$1,729
Median rent (state)

Cranston - the verdict

Cranston ranks in the 69th percentile for household income and the 58th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

69th
percentile, household income
72nd
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
58th
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: Cranston, RI

Rhode Island's Cranston is a small city, with 82,632 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $87,716 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.9%. Home values in Cranston run a median of $348,800, and the median resident age is 40.1 years. Educational attainment runs 35.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 61.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 51 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Slowing), down 9% from five years earlier. Cranston reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1145.4 in FBI UCR data, below 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: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Rhode Island scores 102.3 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,729 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Rhode Island run around $318, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 21.2 minutes, with 74.8% driving alone and 10.9% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 69.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).

Population

82,632 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Rhode Island

Median Household Income

$87,716 /yr

Poverty 4.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

102.3 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Rhode Island average

How does Cranston compare to other US cities?

Cranston measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 69% higher than other cities
Home value 72% pricier than other cities
Median rent 70% pricier than other cities
Safety 58% 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: Cranston ranks #5 of 11 Rhode Island cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Cranston's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Rhode Island, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

69thIncome percentile
58thSafety percentile

69th percentile nationally for median household income · 58th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Cranston's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Cranston'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 52 Avg. percentile National median
Cranston'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 Cranston's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$348,800 28th percentile more affordable than 28% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Cranston $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Cranston, RI Cranston, RI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Cranston, RI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Cranston, RI median $87,716/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Cranston, RI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Cranston, RI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 35.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
82,632
Median Income
$87,716
Median Home Value
$348,800
Median Age
40.1
Poverty Rate
4.9%
Labor force participation
61.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1145.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
93.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1052.3
per 100,000 residents

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
25
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
82,000 residents83,000 residents84,000 residents85,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 82,792 residents 84,647 residents ▲ +2.2%
Cranston's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
51
housing units authorized
Single-Family
47
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 56
2020 59
2021 50
2022 52
2023 37
2024 51

Permit volume decreased 9% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
21.2 minutes
Drive Alone
74.8%
Carpool
9.6%
Public Transit
1.6%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
10.9%
Other
2.0%

Based on 40,735 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Rhode Island - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$155
avg/month
Natural Gas
$105
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$58
avg/month
Total Utilities
$318
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Rhode Island state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Rhode Island state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Cranston sits in

Cost of Living Index
102.3
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,729/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
69.4 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Rhode Island

Warwick
82,871 people
Pawtucket
75,280 people
East Providence
46,970 people
Woonsocket
43,074 people
Newport
25,029 people
Central Falls
22,481 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Cranston's 82,632 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Waldorf, MD
82,541 people
Layton, UT
82,512 people
Largo, FL
82,506 people
Longview, TX
82,765 people
Redwood City, CA
82,423 people
Pine Hills, FL
82,264 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Cranston's $87,716 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Nesika Beach, OR
$87,712 median income
Walla Walla East, WA
$87,723 median income
Slater, IA
$87,708 median income
Aurora, TX
$87,708 median income
Farmers Branch, TX
$87,702 median income
Saylorsburg, PA
$87,731 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Cranston, RI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Cranston, RI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 71.0% 7.3% 6.2% 9.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 16.7% White 71.0% Black or African American 6.0% Asian 7.3% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 6.2% Two or more races 9.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Cranston compares to nearby Rhode Island cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Cranston (this city) 82,632 $87,716
Warwick 82,871 $87,536
Pawtucket 75,280 $67,436
East Providence 46,970 $79,660
Census ACS 5-year FIPS RI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Cranston, RI?

What is the population of Cranston, RI? +

82,632 people live in Cranston, RI according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Cranston, RI? +

Median annual household income in Cranston runs $87,716, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Cranston? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Cranston; the closest available measure is the Rhode Island state average, a cost of living index of 102.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Rhode Island vary by metro area.

Is Cranston, RI safe? +

Cranston has a total crime rate of 1145.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Cranston, RI? +

Homes in Cranston carry a median value of $348,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.