Population 29,465 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Johnston
Household size in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.51 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.49 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.05 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Johnston has 2.54 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has crept up from 2.51 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.7 | 39.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.5 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 41.4 | 41.4 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.4 | 41.7 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.2 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
Johnston skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.4, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 43.7 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 12.5% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 12.4% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 11.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 12.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Johnston as they are nationally: 12.5%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 3.4 points, even as the national share fell. Johnston has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Rhode Island cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Johnston
Renters in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.1% | 37.0% | 37.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.2% | 39.0% | 39.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.2% | 38.6% | 39.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.1% | 36.8% | 36.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Johnston is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 31.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.0 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 10.3% | 11.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 10.5% | 11.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 10.7% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Johnston: 6.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1959 | 1957 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1959 | 1958 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1960 | 1959 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Johnston is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the Providence area overall, where the median home dates to 1962. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $903 | $928 | $941 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $932 | $974 | $988 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,040 | $1,103 | $1,123 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,435 | $1,439 | $1,448 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$532 | +$511 | +$507 | +$606 |
Rent in Johnston runs $1,435 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $532 a month since 2006–10, up 59%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.5% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Johnston
Bachelor's degrees in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 28.5% | 30.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 29.6% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 32.4% | 34.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.3% | 35.2% | 37.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Johnston (29.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.0% | 82.1% | 83.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.0% | 83.9% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.5% | 87.5% | 88.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.1% | 88.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +6.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Johnston have finished high school (91.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 9.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Compared with other Rhode Island cities, though, Johnston has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Johnston
| Period | Johnston | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 8.5% | 8.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 10.0% | 9.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Johnston: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Johnston has higher unemployment than the great majority of Rhode Island cities. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Johnston compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston | 2.54 | 45.4 | 12.5% | 24.1% | 6.2% | 1968 | $1,435 | 29.3% | 91.1% | 7.5% |
| North Providence | 2.33 | 39.8 | 13.1% | 35.3% | 6.3% | 1960 | $1,438 | 35.1% | 92.7% | 4.6% |
| Providence area | 2.49 | 41.7 | 12.1% | 36.8% | 7.9% | 1962 | $1,439 | 35.2% | 88.3% | 5.8% |
| Cranston | 2.53 | 40.6 | 9.0% | 32.5% | 5.3% | 1959 | $1,433 | 36.5% | 90.0% | 6.0% |
| Greenville | 2.39 | 50.3 | 5.6% | 13.3% | 4.7% | 1974 | $1,304 | 41.4% | 94.7% | 4.8% |
| Smithfield | 2.45 | 39.8 | 6.4% | 21.3% | 4.1% | 1975 | $1,284 | 39.3% | 92.3% | 5.9% |
| Saundersville | 2.27 | 59.1 | 4.9% | 19.8% | 7.5% | 1959 | $1,115 | 32.5% | 97.4% | 3.1% |
| Stillwater | 2.83 | 42.5 | 5.5% | 9.3% | 2.9% | 1972 | $979 | 38.3% | 94.2% | 3.3% |
| Lincoln | 2.57 | 46.0 | 12.2% | 26.8% | 3.7% | 1969 | $1,210 | 45.9% | 91.5% | 7.0% |
| North Scituate | 2.36 | 52.3 | 6.4% | 17.3% | 9.0% | 1963 | $1,314 | 37.8% | 95.0% | 2.0% |
| East Providence | 2.31 | 43.9 | 12.0% | 45.6% | 7.6% | 1955 | $1,307 | 27.4% | 84.0% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Front Royal, VA · Walnut, CA · Vestal, NY · Ukiah, CA · Twentynine Palms, CA · Gloucester, MA · Glenside, PA · Geneva, IL · Galt, CA · Gainesville, VA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Johnston. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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