Compare towns
Providence vs Suffield vs Cranston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
Towns like ProvidenceWarwick
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Providence has the most renters (58.6% rent).
Suffield has the highest household income ($119k).
Cranston has the shortest commute (24 min average).
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 | Providence | Suffield | Cranston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 191,767Highest |
15,702Lowest |
83,250 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 32.8±0.5Lowest 16% below U.S. |
44.5±1.7Highest 14% above U.S. |
39.6±0.9 about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±1Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.6%±1.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Providence and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 11.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Suffield and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 14.4%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.3%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,119±$3kLowest 16% below U.S. |
$119,472±$13kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$90,206±$4k 12% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $362,200±$8kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$407,500±$26kHighest 22% above U.S. |
$378,300±$7k 14% above U.S. |
| Suffield and Cranston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,408±$42 about the U.S. average |
$1,424±$141Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,375±$59Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Suffield and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,418Lowest 42% above U.S. |
$6,456Highest 107% above U.S. |
$5,103 64% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48%±2.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
51%±4.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
47.3%±6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Suffield and Providence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 20.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 41.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 5% below U.S. |
26 minHighest 3% below U.S. |
24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.3%±1.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
13%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Suffield and 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 | #36 of 38 in RI | #57 of 149 in CT | #27 of 38 in RI |
| School district | MET Career and Tech · Urban Collaborative | Suffield School District | Achievement First Rhode Island · Cranston |
| High school in town | Classical High School | Suffield High School | Cranston High School West |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.2Highest |
10.9Lowest |
15.4 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.