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Place dossier plate
SheetRI-CRANSTON-RI · Cranston, RI 82,632 pop · income 69th pct · 39 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 Cranston
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Cranston on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Central Falls · lowest
45,921
Central Falls · lowest
45,921 median HH income
30.4% of the leader · rank #1
Slater · near
87,708
Slater · near
87,708 median HH income
58.1% of the leader · rank #2
Aurora · near
87,708
Aurora · near
87,708 median HH income
58.1% of the leader · rank #3
Nesika Beach · near
87,712
Nesika Beach · near
87,712 median HH income
58.1% of the leader · rank #4
Cranston · this city
87,716
Cranston · this city
87,716 median HH income
58.2% of the leader · rank #5
Walla Walla E… · near
87,723
Walla Walla E… · near
87,723 median HH income
58.2% of the leader · rank #6
Redwood City · highest
150,840
Redwood City · highest
150,840 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 Cranston 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: 82,632.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
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
86th
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. The typical household in Cranston brings in $87,716 a 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 56.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Cranston'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 reported crime to comparison shortlist to housing and income to schools and households to population change 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 Cranston, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, local building permits, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Cranston?
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.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1145.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 50% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Cranston?
Within Rhode Island, the closest population matches are Warwick (82,871 residents, $87,536 income); Pawtucket (75,280 residents, $67,436 income); East Providence (46,970 residents, $79,660 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Waldorf, MD (82,541 residents); Layton, UT (82,512 residents); Largo, FL (82,506 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.
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.
How far does income reach against housing in Cranston?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 4.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
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.
PlainCities matches 39 Census tracts to this city.
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 Cranston?
The NCES join finds 25 public schools within the city match. 35.8% 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.
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.
Matched public schools
25
Bachelor's degree+
35.8%
Poverty estimate
4.9%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Is Cranston growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
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.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,855 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 51 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+2.2%
2025 estimate
84,647
2020 estimate
82,792
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Cranston?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 74.8%. The reported mean trip to work is 21.2 minutes.
Public transit
1.6%
Work from home
10.9%
Drive alone
74.8%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 40,735 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 4.9% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
102.3 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Rhode Island average
C+
City profile score · Cranston, RI
61/100
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.
Violent crime B
93 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share B-
35.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income B-
$87,716
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B-
4.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better 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.
Cranston profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 72/100 (B) · 93 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 68/100 (B-) · 35.8%
Household income: 67/100 (B-) · $87,716
Poverty rate: 66/100 (B-) · 4.9%
Cost of living: 30/100 (F) · 102.3 index
Where Cranston sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Cranston'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 - Cranston highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Cranston, RI (this city): home $348,800, crime 1,145/100k
Layton, UT : home $437,400, crime 1,476/100k
Longview, TX : home $182,700, crime 2,690/100k
Redwood City, CA : home $1,838,800, crime 2,092/100k
Warwick, RI : home $322,000, crime 1,227/100k
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
Central Falls, RI : home $300,500, crime 1,329/100k
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 income69% higher than other cities
Home value72% pricier than other cities
Median rent86% pricier than other cities
Safety58% 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
Each percentile compares Cranston 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 Cranston near the bottom of Rhode Island's cities
Among the 36 Rhode Island cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Cranston ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Cranston only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#20 of 33
39th percentile in Rhode Island
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 36
0th percentile in Rhode Island
Median Home Value
#22 of 35
37th percentile in Rhode Island
Poverty Rate
#15 of 36
58th percentile in Rhode Island
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#22 of 36
39th 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
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.
How Cranston's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$348,80028th percentilemore affordable than 28% 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
Cranston's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#10,641 of 15,516
More affordable than 31% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#303 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 4.0×, Cranston sits in the moderate band:
national rank #10,641 of 15,516 and #303 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
$87,716Cranston, RI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Cranston, 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 Cranston, RI.
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
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
25
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Cranston's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
82,792 residents
2021
82,630 residents
2022
82,844 residents
2023
83,201 residents
2024
84,310 residents
2025
84,647 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
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
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
56
40
16
$7.6M
2020
59
29
30
$6.7M
2021
50
46
4
$10.0M
2022
52
42
10
$12.6M
2023
37
33
4
$7.4M
2024
51
47
4
$9.8M
Permit volume decreased 9% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
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
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 Cranston. 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 Cranston 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 Cranston sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Cranston 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.