State Guide

Best Places to Live in Rhode Island

The most affordable, safest, and highest-income cities across 36 Rhode Island cities — ranked from official data.

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Choosing where to live in Rhode Island comes down to a few trade-offs — cost of living, safety, income, and schools. The rankings below pull those out from U.S. Census, FBI, and NCES data so you can see the standouts at a glance, then drill into any city or put two side by side.

Most Affordable Cities in Rhode Island

Lowest cost of living index (100 = U.S. average · lower is cheaper).

#City Cost of Living Population
1 Providence 101 189,715
2 Warwick 101 82,783
3 Cranston 101 82,691
4 Pawtucket 101 75,176
5 East Providence 101 47,012
6 Woonsocket 101 43,029
7 Newport 101 25,087

Safest Cities in Rhode Island

Lowest crime index (100 = U.S. average · lower is safer). Limited to cities with complete FBI reporting.

#City Crime Index Population
1 East Providence 25 47,012
2 Warwick 34 82,783
3 Cranston 35 82,691
4 Newport 56 25,087
5 Providence 75 189,715
6 Pawtucket 77 75,176
7 Woonsocket 90 43,029

Highest-Income Cities in Rhode Island

Highest median household income (US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates).

#City Median Income Population
1 Cranston $83,123 82,691
2 Newport $81,330 25,087
3 Warwick $81,009 82,783
4 East Providence $71,736 47,012
5 Pawtucket $62,799 75,176
6 Providence $61,365 189,715
7 Woonsocket $54,398 43,029

Best School Districts in Rhode Island

Highest school-quality grade (student-teacher ratio, adult attainment, and graduation data where available).

#City School Grade Population
1 Newport A- 25,087
2 Warwick B+ 82,783
3 Cranston B+ 82,691
4 East Providence B 47,012
5 Providence B- 189,715
6 Pawtucket B- 75,176
7 Woonsocket C+ 43,029

Popular Rhode Island City Comparisons

Head-to-head breakdowns of the state's largest cities.

Providence vs Warwick Providence vs Cranston Providence vs Pawtucket Providence vs East Providence Providence vs Woonsocket Providence vs Newport Providence vs Central Falls Warwick vs Cranston Warwick vs Pawtucket Warwick vs East Providence Warwick vs Woonsocket Warwick vs Newport

All Cities in Rhode Island

Click any city for the full profile. Data from U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-Year Estimates).

City Population Median Income Median Home Median Rent Unemployment Crime Index
Providence 189,715 $61,365 $293,000 $1,214 7.2% 75
Warwick 82,783 $81,009 $294,400 $1,295 5.1% 34
Cranston 82,691 $83,123 $326,000 $1,270 5.6% 35
Pawtucket 75,176 $62,799 $266,300 $1,081 6.7% 77
East Providence 47,012 $71,736 $286,400 $1,186 5.6% 25
Woonsocket 43,029 $54,398 $241,000 $1,066 8.9% 90
Newport 25,087 $81,330 $622,800 $1,527 10.0% 56
Central Falls 22,359 $43,092 $244,100 $1,052 8.3% 70
Westerly 18,272 $86,343 $377,000 $1,283 6.5% 27
Valley Falls 12,072 $93,901 $322,800 $1,049 2.8% 47
Newport East 11,644 $90,659 $444,300 $1,542 5.8% 22
Wakefield-Peace Dale 9,966 $99,254 $436,600 $1,173 7.9% 8
Cumberland Hill 8,866 $120,365 $342,900 $983 2.5% 47
Greenville 8,777 $92,367 $376,000 $1,391 3.4% 47
Tiverton 8,101 $86,102 $336,900 $1,223 3.4% 24
Kingston 6,560 $108,056 $458,600 — 11.0% 8
Pascoag 4,527 $97,064 $294,000 $1,132 7.7% 47
Narragansett Pier 2,805 $76,528 $682,900 $1,636 11.6% 8
Hope Valley 2,209 $93,888 $429,200 $1,214 8.4% 8
Melville 1,918 $128,750 — $2,354 2.1% —
Chepachet 1,755 $92,228 $282,100 $1,011 0.0% 47
Charlestown 1,702 $109,563 $496,200 $1,524 9.2% 31
Ashaway 1,662 $98,875 $285,300 $1,329 0.0% 8
Harrisville 1,515 $62,750 $339,500 $742 5.7% 47
Harmony 1,442 $103,430 $339,900 — 3.5% 47
Bradford 1,189 $72,383 $282,200 $985 15.1% 8
Carolina 1,165 $92,419 $346,000 — 6.1% 8
Greene 1,070 $96,176 $332,500 — 2.8% 18
Weekapaug 522 $110,000 $678,200 — 0.0% 8
Quonochontaug 452 $114,010 $1,029,800 — 12.7% 8
Hopkinton 421 — $252,100 $393 10.6% 14
Misquamicut 379 $113,438 $801,900 — 0.0% 8
Foster Center 343 $52,742 $452,400 — 0.0% 47
Wyoming 318 $92,434 $321,400 — 0.0% 8
Watch Hill 311 $133,542 $2,000,001 — 37.2% 8
Clayville 102 — $230,200 — 0.0% 47

Frequently Asked Questions

Providence, RI is among the most affordable cities in Rhode Island, with a cost of living index of 101 (US average = 100) and a median home value of $293,000. See the full ranking above.
East Providence, RI ranks among the safest cities in Rhode Island, with a crime index of 25 (100 = U.S. average, lower is safer). Crime data from the FBI UCR Program.
Cranston, RI has one of the highest median household incomes in Rhode Island at $83,123 per year. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.

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