Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 23,124, incorporated in 1730.
Central Falls earns a D−, better than 3% of U.S. towns, mostly because of schools and health. Its public schools trail 97% of Rhode Island towns on state tests and graduation. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 13 places on the National Register. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Central Falls, where Rhode Island’s towns sit at 6.5% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. No town in Rhode Island scores lower than Central Falls on incomes. Its National Register listings include Central Falls Congregational Church and Holy Trinity Church Complex.
Where Central Falls beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Central Falls Congregational Church| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| The Learning Community | K–8 | 569 |
| Ella Risk School | K–5 | 414 |
| Veterans Memorial Elementary | K–5 | 406 |
Census counts: 18,167 in 1900, 22,583 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1868 and 6 maps from 1894 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Rhode Island), ordered by how far Central Falls is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Central Falls. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw25 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw30 mi MuseumThe Breakers
17 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
20 mi Ancient siteHMS EndeavourGillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Central Falls, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Central Falls.
Central Falls sends many workers across the state line to Boston and is safe by national standards but not by Rhode Island’s; it also has poverty well above the Rhode Island rate.
Each of its 3 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its D−, Cumberland highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the Central Falls school district. Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Learning CommunityLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 569 | C |
| Central Falls Sr HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 788 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within RI on state tests and graduation
All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its D−, from Pawtucket (C) to Lincoln (A).
34% of Central Falls adults say their health is fair or poor. No town among the 38 in Rhode Island we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Central Falls. 20% of Central Falls adults report frequent physical distress.
| Central Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 15% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 22% | 25% |
| What stands out | Central Falls | RI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 21.6% | 25.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 26.2% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
31% of working residents cross a state line to work, Boston among the top destinations.
The median household income in Central Falls is $49,000. Of the 38 Rhode Island towns we compare, none has a lower share of workers working from home than Central Falls. Most working residents leave Central Falls for work: only 7% work in town.
| Central Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $105,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.2% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.1% | 12% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Central Falls home is worth about $382,000, up 1.5% in a year, 25% below the Rhode Island typical home. 26% of households own their home in Central Falls. Only 3 of the 37 Rhode Island towns we compare have a lower median rent than Central Falls.
| Central Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 26% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,200 a month | $1,371 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Central Falls has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 22° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 22.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 91% of Rhode Island’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 311 to 244 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Central Falls’ violent crime rate is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Central Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.8 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 27 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Central Falls.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.3 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Only 3 of the 38 Rhode Island towns we compare have a lower trail density than Central Falls.
| Central Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.7% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jenks Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
| 2. River Island Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Veteran's Memorial Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
10 within 15 miles of the center of Central Falls
About 5 of every 100 Central Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Rhode Island.
19,376 counted in 2010 and 22,583 in 2020; an estimated 23,124 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
13 places in Central Falls on the National Register of Historic Places.
14 notable people were born in Central Falls.
City in Rhode Island, United States
Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,583 at the 2020 census. With an area of only 1.29 square miles (3.3 km2), it is the smallest and most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the 23rd most densely populated incorporated place in the United States. It is one of only four incorporated places in New England that have a higher population density than the city of Boston, ranking second, behind the Massachusetts city of Somerville, an inner suburb of Boston. The city takes its name from a waterfall on the Blackstone River. Central Falls went into receivership in May 2010, then filed for bankruptcy in August 2011. After cutt…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Central Falls.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D−; Pawtucket (D) is closest.
| Town | RI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Falls | #38 | D− | C− | C+ | D− | D− |
| Valley Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cumberland | #9 | A | C− | A | A− | A− |
| Pawtucket | #35 | D | C | C+ | D | C |
| Lincoln | #25 | B+ | C− | B | B+ | A |
Valley Falls isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Central Falls with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Central Falls grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
Rhode Island has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Central Falls sits nearer the middle.
Yes. That is 4.4 years of the area's median household income ($87,040 across the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
14 notable people were born here, including Francis Condon and Charles Risk.
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