Providence, Rhode Island Population 2024

188,398

Providence is a city located in Providence County Rhode Island. Providence has a 2024 population of 188,398. It is also the county seat of Providence County. Providence is currently declining at a rate of -0.31% annually and its population has decreased by -1.22% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 190,728 in 2020.

The average household income in Providence is $89,499 with a poverty rate of 21.32%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Providence is 32.3 years, 31 years for males, and 33.3 years for females.

The city was founded in 1636, making it one of the oldest cities in the nation.

Providence Population Statistics

Approximately 14% of the total population is of Italian ancestry. The city also has a large Jewish community that makes up about 5% of the population. Many immigrants from all over the world live in Providence, with many originally hailing from Brazil, Portugal, and Cape Verde.

Providence has a higher rate of property crime than the national average. The rate of violent crimes is about equal to the national average.

The largest employer in the city is Brown University, which employs over 4% of city residents. Other top employers include Rhode Island Hospital, Life Span, Women & Infants Hospital and the Roger Williams Medical Center.

Providence Population Growth

Providence was once on the largest cities in the nation, and it experienced rapid growth in its early history. By the time of the 20th century, the population was nearing 200,000. That number was exceeded by the time of the 1910 census. The community continued to grow until it peaked at 253,504 according to the 1940 poll. However, each 10-year census following through 1980 showed that the population was on the decline, dropping to below 200,000 in 1970 until the population rose again in the '90s. Recent estimates show that the current population is around 0.7% higher than the numbers posted during the 2010 census, indicating that revitalization efforts by the city could be working, despite the financial troubles faced by many residents.

Providence was first settled in 1636 by Roger Williams. The area was one of the original colonies of the United States. The city was founded after Williams withdrew from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and it quickly became an area where persecuted dissenters settled.

Providence was the first colony to renounce allegiance to the British in 1776 and later was the last of the colonies to ratify the Constitution, only doing so after it was assured that the Bill of Rights would be included.

After the American Revolution, Providence was the ninth-largest city in the country by population. In its earliest history, the economy revolved around maritime activity but following the war, this changed. Instead, the economy was based around manufacturing products including - but not limited - to textiles, machinery, and jewelry. This would continue throughout the city’s history, later attracting manufacturers including Gorham Silverware and Brown & Sharpe.

Providence was incorporated as a city in 1832. The city only continued to grow, with the population climbing significantly during the Civil War. Because of its manufacturing, the city thrived during this time.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Providence was one of the wealthiest cities in the country. Its manufacturing industry was thriving, and many immigrants came to the area to work in the city’s industrial manufacturing centers. More companies went to the area, including Fruit of the Loom and Babcock & Wilcox.

Later, in the 1970s, millions of dollars were spent to revitalize the city. This including uncovering the rivers that were paved over, creating river walks and constructing the Providence Place Mall. Today, the city is broken up into 25 official neighborhoods. Providence is home to many attractions, including parks, shopping centers, restaurants, historic landmarks, and buildings. As with most post-industrial cities, poverty is now a problem, with close to 28% of the total population living below the federal poverty line according to the recent census information. Recent increases in median housing prices have further contributed to this problem. The city has also been working on rebranding itself to emphasize its cultural and educational opportunities.

Providence Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Providence was:

  • White: 45.57%
  • Other race: 18.54%
  • Black or African American: 15.18%
  • Two or more races: 13.64%
  • Asian: 6.4%
  • Native American: 0.62%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.04%
Land Area (mi²)
18.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
10,236.0/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-1.22% (-2,330)
The current population of Providence, Rhode Island is 188,398 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 190,728.

Providence, Rhode Island Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White86,46145.57%
Other race35,17318.54%
Black or African American28,79815.18%
Two or more races25,87813.64%
Asian12,1506.4%
Native American1,1710.62%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander840.04%

White

Other race

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Providence Population by Race

Providence Population Pyramid 2024

Providence Median Age

32.3

Total

31

Male

33.3

Female

Providence Adults

There are 150,500 adults, (22,479 of whom are seniors) in Providence.

Providence Age Dependency

48.2

Age Dependency Ratio

17.6

Old Age Dependency Ratio

30.6

Child Dependency Ratio

Providence Sex Ratio

Female97,71851.51%
Male91,99748.49%

Providence Population by Age

Providence Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All69,1102.5239.960.1
Non Family31,6071.3727.472.6
Married20,7493.5161.538.5
Female12,0563.533.666.4
Male4,6983.345.154.9

3.33

Average Family Size

2.52

Average Household Size

39.9%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Providence Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Providence Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Providence Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 55.8%.

Providence Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$43,895

Average Earnings

$47,516

Average Male

$40,144

Average Female

Providence Earnings by Educational Attainment

Providence Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Providence Language

51.56% of Providence residents speak only English, while 48.44% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 36.55% of the population.

Providence Language

Providence Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Hispanic79,08120,30925.68%
Other34,7909,26926.64%
White55,2698,26814.96%
Black27,3065,83321.36%
Multiple24,8294,95519.96%
Asian10,4302,30122.06%
Native1,15233128.73%
Islander846273.81%

21.32%

Overall Poverty Rate

19.12%

Male Poverty Rate

23.41%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Providence

The race most likely to be in poverty in Providence is Islander, with 73.81% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Providence is White, with 14.96% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.73%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.41%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 37.76%.

Providence Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade29.88%
High School21.57%
Some College15.69%
Bachelors or Greater8.4%

Providence Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed37.68%
Male Unemployed37.46%
Female Employed10.02%
Male Employed7.41%

Providence Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Providence Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Providence Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

30.8%

Overall Marriage Rate

34.3%

Male Marriage Rate

27.5%

Female Marriage Rate

Providence Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Providence Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Providence Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Providence Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

3,630

Number of Veterans

3,283

Male Veterans

347

Female Veterans

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Providence Veterans by War

count

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Providence Veterans by Age

count

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Providence Veterans by Race

Providence Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

14.35%

Veteran Poverty Rate

35.49%

Veteran Disability Rate

Providence Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

63.1%

Labor Force Participation

58.5%

Employment Rate

7.2%

Unemployment Rate

Providence Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Providence Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Providence Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

36.74%

Born in Providence

68.38%

Native Born

31.62%

Foreign Born

16.16%

Non Citizen

15.46%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

68.38% of Providence residents were born in the United States, with 36.74% having been born in Rhode Island. 16.16% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Providence Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029185,485-583-0.31%
2028186,068-582-0.31%
2027186,650-583-0.31%
2026187,233-582-0.31%
2025187,815-583-0.31%
2024188,398-582-0.31%
2023188,980-583-0.31%
2022189,563-518-0.27%
2021190,081-647-0.34%
2020190,72811,4056.36%
2019179,323-246-0.14%
2018179,5692550.14%
2017179,314-320-0.18%
2016179,6343170.18%
2015179,3171510.08%
2014179,1664480.25%
2013178,718-99-0.06%
2012178,8175000.28%
2011178,3173210.18%
2010177,99600%
2000173,61812,8908.02%
1990160,7283,9242.5%
1980156,804-22,312-12.46%
1970179,116-28,382-13.68%
1960207,498-41,176-16.56%
1950248,674-4,830-1.91%
1940253,5045230.21%
1930252,98115,3866.48%
1920237,59513,2695.92%
1910224,32648,72927.75%
1900175,59743,45132.88%
1890132,14627,28926.02%
1880104,85735,95352.18%
187068,90418,23836%
186050,6669,15322.05%
185041,51318,34279.16%
184023,1716,33837.65%
183016,8335,06643.05%
182011,7671,69616.84%
181010,0712,45732.27%
18007,6141,23419.34%
17906,380-179,105-96.56%
showing: 42 rows

Providence Population by Year