Compare towns
East Providence vs Providence
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
East Providence has the most homeowners (59.9%).
Providence has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | East Providence | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 47,281Lowest |
191,767Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.2%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
+7.2%Highest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 45.1±2.4Highest 11% above RI |
32.8±0.5Lowest 19% below RI |
| Kids under 18 | 15.6%±1.8Lowest RI: 18.8% |
20.1%±1Highest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 20.8%±1.5Highest RI: 18.7% |
11.6%±0.7Lowest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 31.6%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
34.6%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±1.2Lowest RI: 8.3% |
14.4%±0.8Highest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $75,912±$8kHighest 14% below RI |
$68,119±$3kLowest 22% below RI |
| East Providence and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $365,500±$10kHighest 10% below RI |
$362,200±$8kLowest 10% below RI |
| East Providence and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,288±$75Lowest 4% below RI |
$1,408±$42Highest 5% above RI |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,545Highest 7% below RI |
$4,418Lowest 10% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.5%±6.5Highest RI: 48% |
48%±2.8Lowest RI: 48% |
| East Providence and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
20.7%Highest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 59.9%Highest RI: 63.6% |
41.4%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Highest 4 yrs older than RI |
1938Lowest 24 yrs older than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 11% below RI |
25 minHighest about the RI average |
| Work from home | 12.4%±2.6Lowest RI: 13% |
14.3%±1.2Highest RI: 13% |
| Providence and East Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #29 of 38 in RI | #36 of 38 in RI |
| School district | East Providence | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative |
| High school in town | East Providence High | Classical High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 15.5Lowest |
17.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet |
RI average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.