Providence, Rhode Island
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Providence.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Providence compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 190,214City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $66,772Incorporated place (ACS)15% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 103ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)Near U.S. avg (100)U.S. 100
- Median home value
- $322,800City limits (ACS)6% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,333City limits (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($1,348)U.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 3.7%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 24 minNear U.S. avg (25 min)U.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 7669% above U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 496.2annualized per 100k · citywide18% below U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 3011.2annualized per 100k · citywideNear U.S. avg (3084.9)U.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 81°F6.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 24°F10.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 47.5 in44% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 23811% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Providence with another city
A tiny coastal state where beach towns and Providence jobs sit close together. Expect summer highs near 81°F and winter lows around 24°F. Average one-way commute time is about 24 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 76/100. Labor-market readings near 3.7% unemployment are neither boom nor bust by national standards. Violent-offense rates near 496.2 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Providence (pop. 190,214) sits in Rhode Island. With median income around $66,772 and a cost index of 103, the market reads close to the national housing-cost baseline. Ownership is a high bar — typical values near $322,800 push many newcomers toward renting first.
Providence is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Providence with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Providence city, 1600000US4459000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN440070000000003 (Providence County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00014765 PROVIDENCE T F GREEN AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28
Canonical profile · All Rhode Island cities · Full city index