No, Providence is not a dangerous city. Providence ranks as the #153 safest out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Providence might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, the Blackstone neighborhood is the safest in Providence, while the Downtown neighborhood is considered dangerous based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Providence ranks 216th highest in America -- 38.56% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 169th highest in the United States -- 7.23% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is "dangerous". Despite the uptick in murders, it's nothing like you'd see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
Here is a breakdown of crime rates in Providence per capita compared to the state and national average so you can compare.
Statistic | Providence Count Raw | Providence / 100k People | Rhode Island / 100k People | National / 100k People |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total Crimes | 5,429 | 2,871.5 | 1,476.3 | 2,346.0 |
Murder | 7 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 6.5 |
Robbery | 136 | 71.9 | 31.8 | 73.9 |
Aggravated Assault | 435 | 230.1 | 157.5 | 279.7 |
Violent Crime | 643 | 340.1 | 230.8 | 387.8 |
Burglary | 385 | 203.6 | 166.8 | 314.2 |
Larceny | 3,687 | 1,950.1 | 935.9 | 1,398.0 |
Car Theft | 714 | 377.6 | 142.7 | 246.0 |
Property Crime | 4,786 | 2,531.4 | 1,245.5 | 1,958.2 |
Wikipedia User FlickreviewR 2 | CC BY 2.0
No, Rhode Island is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #6 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Rhode Island ranks 44th most dangerous in the United States -- 37.58% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Ocean State ranks 44th most dangerous in the United States -- 36.27% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
The county in Rhode Island with the lowest cost of living is Bristol County. The average living wage in Bristol County is $93,989 according to MIT data. Bristol County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Rhode Island as a whole. Childcare costs $18,027 a year in Bristol County for two children compared to the Rhode Island average of $18,739. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $13,776 per year in Bristol County compared to $13,956 on average in Rhode Island.
The cost of living in Rhode Island is 5.9% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Rhode Island is $95,005 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Rhode Island household is $70,305.
The cheapest housing market in Rhode Island is Melville. The average home value in Melville is $0, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Rhode Island is $276,600, almost nan times higher than Melville.