Living in Providence, RI

Providence sits comfortably below national crime averages. The violent crime index is 58 against a national baseline of 100, and property crime registers at 80. Most neighborhoods feel safe for walking, errands, and daily life. Like anywhere, some areas need more caution than others — ask locals or check precinct maps before picking a neighborhood. Data from the FBI UCR.

Housing costs in Providence are reasonable. Median rent sits at $1,333/month with median household income at $66,772/year — a 24.0% rent-to-income ratio. That's well within the comfort zone that most financial advisors recommend. It's not dirt cheap, but most working households can afford rent here without financial strain. Other costs like groceries and utilities will vary, but the rent picture is solid. Census ACS 2023 data.

The average commute in Providence runs 22 minutes, which is moderate. 62.6% of commuters drive solo, contributing to peak-hour congestion. 4.2% use transit, and 12.7% work from home. Rush hour on major corridors will add 10-15 minutes on top of the average, so plan your route before you pick a neighborhood.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 24/100, which puts Providence in the low-risk tier. Flood, Winter Storm, and Hurricane are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

Mixed. The city-wide graduation rate is 78.0% and classrooms average 14 students per teacher. Some schools here are legitimately excellent — strong test scores, engaged communities, good resources. Others struggle. The gap between the best and worst is wider than you might expect. Do your homework on individual schools rather than relying on the city-wide number.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 38, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Providence logs 282 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Higher than average, yes. The total effective tax rate lands around 13.0% when you add up income, property, and sales taxes. Sales tax is 7.0%. High-tax areas often come with better public schools, infrastructure, and services — but that's not guaranteed, and it's cold comfort on payday. If you're moving from a low-tax state like Texas or Florida, brace for a noticeable dip in take-home pay.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.