Providence County · Rhode Island · Northeast · 192k residents
Providence, RI: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Providence: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Rhode Island median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Providence is $362,200, right at the Rhode Island median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,453/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 103 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $68,119 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Providence is $362,200, right around the median for ACS-covered places in Rhode Island.
- Household income: Median household income is $68,119, 10.3% below the median for ACS-covered places in Rhode Island.
- Adult education: 34.6% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.7% above the median for ACS-covered places in Rhode Island.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 5.3 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A compact New England capital where design schools, immigrant food, and historic neighborhoods do the talking.
Known for: RISD, Brown, Italian American foodways, waterways, and colonial architecture.
Calendar note: WaterFire is the city’s signature public art tradition.
Story source: GoProvidence
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Providence about 27 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 200 sunny days and 37 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 25 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Providence side by side
Cost of living index
103
ACS median home value
$362,200
2-bedroom rent
$1,453/mo
Median household income
$68,119
Housing momentum
How fast Providence's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
58/100
Steady
Ranks Providence's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Providence's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $362,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $285 |
| Property tax rate | 1.4% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,039/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,453/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.82% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Cost of living index | 103 |
| Groceries index | 105 |
| Utilities | $220/mo |
| Transit pass | $70/mo |
| Gas price | $3.30/gal |
| Healthcare index | 104 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,250/mo |
| Median household income | $68,119 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% |
| Population | 192k |
| Crime index | 30/100 |
| School rating | 6.2/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 94/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 22°F |
| Annual snowfall | 37 in |
| Home price YoY | +2.1% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +3.1% |
| Rent MoM | -0.1% |
| Ocean coast | 27 mi |
| Big lake | 108 mi |
| Mountains | 106 mi |
| Major airport | 7 mi |
| Ski resort | 53 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- East Providence, RI · 47k
- Pawtucket, RI · 76k
- Cranston, RI · 83k
- Central Falls, RI · 23k
- Warwick, RI · 83k
Similar size
- Woonsocket, RI · 44k
- Newport, RI · 25k
- Westerly, RI · 18k
Real listings in Providence
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Providence, RI?
- Providence indexes at 103 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,453/mo and a acs median home value of $362,200.
- How much does a house cost in Providence?
- The acs median home value in Providence is $362,200, right at the Rhode Island median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Providence?
- A two-bedroom in Providence rents for about $1,453/mo.