Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Providence grades B overall, 28th of 38 graded towns in Rhode Island. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 88% of U.S. towns. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $415K for a typical one and 4.8 times the Providence metro’s $87K median household income. Only 1 of Rhode Island’s 39 towns score lower on hazard risk. North Providence has 9 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Allendale Mill and Capt. Stephen Olney House. Only 2 of Rhode Island’s 39 towns score lower on the outdoors.
Where North Providence beats most towns.
Where North Providence’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Rhode Island), ordered by how far North Providence is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,071 in 1790, a low of 1,067 in 1800, 34,114 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1835 and 6 maps from 1894 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Providence. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw24 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw28 mi MuseumThe Breakers
19 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
19 mi Ancient siteHMS EndeavourGillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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 North Providence, 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 North Providence.
North Providence is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Rhode Island; it also has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Most working residents leave North Providence for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, North Providence has added 761 jobs, to 6,751 in 2023. At 27 minutes, North Providence’s average trip to work is above both the Rhode Island town median (26 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes).
| North Providence | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $105,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.8% | 12% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.3% | 6.5% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the North Providence school district. Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birchwood Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 390 | B− |
| North Providence HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,085 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within RI on state tests and graduation
Rhode Island has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns North Providence sits closer to the middle.
| North Providence | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.3 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
North Providence has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 21° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
64% of North Providence households own their home, below both Rhode Island’s towns (76%) and U.S. towns (73%). The typical North Providence home is worth about $415,000, up 2.5% in a year, 18% below the Rhode Island typical home.
| North Providence | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,405 a month | $1,366 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Within Rhode Island it is less healthy than 84% of the 38 graded towns: Rhode Island sets a high bar.
North Providence beats the Rhode Island average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 37% of adults feel lonely in North Providence. Among 38 Rhode Island towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than North Providence.
| North Providence | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 10% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | North Providence | RI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 18.2% | 15.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.6% | 8% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 15.7% | 13.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Rhode Island average. 18% of North Providence residents are under 18. North Providence has grown 2.1% since 2020, to 34,833 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| North Providence | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 40% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.1 years | 44 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 21% | 18% |
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.8 points). Across Rhode Island, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.4, men 41.5.
| North Providence | RI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 10% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 8.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.3% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 13.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.9% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.4% | 10.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.5% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.3% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.9% | 8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.1% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.8% | 15.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
1.3 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Among 38 Rhode Island towns, just 2 have a lower share of conserved land than North Providence. North Providence’s trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| North Providence | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Governor Notte Park | 0.5 mi | 22 |
| 2. Captain Stephen Olney Memorial Park | 0.3 mi | 21 |
| 3. Peter Randall State Park | — | 33 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
114 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 20 properties have flooded more than once.
The FEMA risk score in North Providence is 52 of 100. Since 1978, 114 flood insurance claims have been paid out in North Providence.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
9 within 15 miles of the center of North Providence
About 6 of every 100 North Providence residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Rhode Island.
9 places in North Providence on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in North Providence.
Town in Rhode Island, United States
North Providence is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 34,114 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with North Providence.
| Town | RI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Providence | #28 | B | C− | B+ | B− | B |
| Johnston | #30 | B− | C | B | B− | B |
| Providence | #36 | D | D | C | D | C+ |
| Pawtucket | #35 | D | C | C+ | D | C |
| Lincoln | #25 | B+ | C− | B | B+ | A |
| Smithfield | #10 | A | C | A− | A− | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Providence grades B overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #28 of 38 in Rhode Island. It grades B for health, B+ for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes, by national standards. Rhode Island has less crime than most states, so among its own towns North Providence sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
6 notable people were born here, including Ernie DiGregorio and Jim Gilchrist.
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