The Providence metro area: Bristol, Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence and Washington counties · Population 1,684,071 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the Providence area
Household size in the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in the Providence area has 2.49 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. The figure for Rhode Island is much the same. Household size has edged down from 2.53 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.4 | 41.4 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
The median resident of the Providence area is 41.7 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 39.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the southwest.
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 the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in the Providence area (12.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The Providence area has a higher share of single-parent households than most large metro areas.
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 the Providence area
Renters in the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0% | 37.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.0% | 39.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.6% | 39.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.8% | 36.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −1.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in the Providence area rent their homes (36.8%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 34.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest.
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 the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 11.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 11.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Providence area: 7.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Rhode Island comes in at about the same level. Vacancy is down 2.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1957 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1958 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1959 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The Providence area is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center. Only three of the 100 large U.S. metro areas have older homes.
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 the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $928 | $941 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $974 | $988 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,103 | $1,123 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,439 | $1,448 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$511 | +$507 | +$606 |
Rent in the Providence area runs $1,439 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $511 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the northeast.
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 the Providence area
Bachelor's degrees in the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.5% | 30.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.6% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.4% | 34.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.2% | 37.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in the Providence area as nationally: 35.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.7 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northwest.
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 the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.1% | 83.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.9% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.5% | 88.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in the Providence area is close to the national rate: 88.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 6.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The Providence area has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of large metro areas.
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 the Providence area
| Period | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 8.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 9.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Providence area is close to the national rate: 5.8% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Largest cities in the Providence area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence area (all) | 2.49 | 41.7 | 12.1% | 36.8% | 7.9% | 1962 | $1,439 | 35.2% | 88.3% | 5.8% |
| New Bedford | 2.42 | 37.7 | 18.9% | 59.8% | 6.3% | 1948 | $1,175 | 16.4% | 75.7% | 8.2% |
| Fall River | 2.26 | 40.0 | 16.2% | 65.1% | 6.4% | 1950 | $1,181 | 16.0% | 75.9% | 6.5% |
| Cranston | 2.53 | 40.6 | 9.0% | 32.5% | 5.3% | 1959 | $1,433 | 36.5% | 90.0% | 6.0% |
| Warwick | 2.36 | 43.8 | 9.8% | 26.4% | 5.2% | 1960 | $1,402 | 31.7% | 92.9% | 5.1% |
| Pawtucket | 2.55 | 37.7 | 17.4% | 49.6% | 8.0% | 1948 | $1,243 | 22.7% | 82.4% | 7.3% |
| Taunton | 2.48 | 40.4 | 17.8% | 40.8% | 5.4% | 1962 | $1,371 | 23.3% | 85.3% | 5.9% |
| Attleboro | 2.63 | 40.7 | 13.3% | 33.8% | 7.5% | 1971 | $1,560 | 34.9% | 90.8% | 4.7% |
| Woonsocket | 2.54 | 37.7 | 22.1% | 62.8% | 9.4% | 1953 | $1,223 | 19.2% | 83.0% | 6.5% |
| Coventry | 2.46 | 45.7 | 11.5% | 19.6% | 6.2% | 1973 | $1,395 | 32.3% | 94.3% | 4.7% |
| West Warwick | 2.23 | 43.2 | 12.0% | 43.0% | 7.1% | 1962 | $1,357 | 25.4% | 91.0% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Louisville area · Raleigh area · Oklahoma City area · Milwaukee area · Jacksonville area · Virginia Beach area · San Jose area · Nashville area · Indianapolis area · Columbus area
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 the Providence area. 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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