Photo: Eric Harrison · CC BY-SA 2.0How is Cranston run?
Cranston’s city government spent $343.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,168 per resident.
What stands out about how Cranston is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Cranston
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: cranstonri.gov ↗
Cranston’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cranstonri.gov ↗.
About $4,168 per resident a year, or $11.42 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 62% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Cranston runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
$4,131 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Cranston’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,131 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 42 U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,337, and the middle half spent $3,631–$4,976. Cranston spent less than 60% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($19.2 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Cranston itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Cranston reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $4,131 · 2023: $4,338 · 2024: $4,168.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,327 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,103 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% of the home’s value, vs 1.21% across Rhode Island.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Cranston’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Cranston’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Cranston →
One full-time city employee for every 35 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (82,421).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Cranston School District
Cranston’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Cranston, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $19,030 per pupil, $11,023 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Rhode Island districts overall: 48% local, 40% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Cranston voted in 2024
Official results for Cranston’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.9%21,168 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.7%18,638 votesOthers: 2.5% (1,000 votes).
Most votes in Cranston: Kamala D Harris
Providence County: Harris 55.7%, Trump 41.7% · Rhode Island: Harris 55.6%, Trump 41.8%
of Cranston’s 62,298 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Rhode Island: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Cranston: Sheldon Whitehouse
Providence County: Whitehouse 61.3%, Morgan 38.4% · Rhode Island: Whitehouse 59.9%, Morgan 39.8%
Most votes in the district: Seth Magaziner
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Cranston, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cranston | 51.9% | 45.7% | 2.5% | 40,806 |
| Providence County | 55.7% | 41.7% | 2.6% | 269,679 |
| Rhode Island | 55.6% | 41.8% | 2.6% | 513,086 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Cranston sends 9 representatives to the Rhode Island House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorKenneth Hopkinsas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Rhode Island HouseCranston is split between 9 districts
- 3Rhode Island SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Rhode Island
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Cranston compares with the towns next door
Cranston spent $4,131 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $3,898 to $4,646. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| East Providence | $3,898 runs schools | $4,545 |
| Johnston | $4,188 runs schools | $4,614 |
| West Warwick | $4,316 runs schools | $4,962 |
| Warwick | $4,504 runs schools | $4,616 |
| Providence | $4,646 runs schools | $4,418 |
| Scituate | estimate | $5,265 |
| Coventry | estimate | $5,099 |
| Cranston | $4,131 | $5,103 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Cranston’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Cranston’s government
How much does Cranston spend per resident?
About $4,168 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,131 was less than 60% of 42 U.S. cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Cranston?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,103 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.21% across Rhode Island. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cranstonri.gov.
Who is the mayor of Cranston?
Kenneth Hopkins, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on cranstonri.gov.
How did Cranston vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 51.9%, Donald J Trump 45.7% (40,806 votes, official results). Providence County: Harris 55.7%, Trump 41.7%. Rhode Island: Harris 55.6%, Trump 41.8%.
How many people work for Cranston?
2,377 full-time and 340 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $17.0M (about $204.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Cranston in the state legislature?
Cranston is split among 9 State House districts and 4 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Rhode Island Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Cranston’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →