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Detailed pages on related topics: Providence colleges • Providence travel • Providence mortgage and property.
Founded in 1636 by the clergyman Roger Williams, Providence is the capital of the state of Rhode Island. Providence is also the largest city in Rhode Island with a population of nearly 180,000 people, and the second largest city in New England. According to U.S. Census estimates, the Providence metropolitan area is one of the 35 largest in the United States with a population of more than 1.6 million people.
Providence is located in east/central Rhode Island on the Providence River, which leads into Narragansett Bay. It is about an hour drive southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, and 50 minutes southeast of Worcester, Massachusetts. Providence was a past finalist community for the National Civic League's coveted "All-America City Award". There are two Fortune 1000 corporate headquarters located in Providence, and several others in surrounding communities.
Providence's climate is characterized by four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and summers tend to be hot and humid. January is the coldest month of the year with an average daily temperature of 37 degrees Fahrenheit. July is the warmest month of the year with an average daily temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Providence's close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, at the head of Narragansett Bay, tends to moderate its weather a bit, making winters warmer and summers a little cooler than other parts of inland New England.
For a city of modest size, Providence provides a good assortment of arts and cultural offerings. Some of the more notable include:
Providence is also a relatively short drive to all of the arts and cultural offerings of Boston, and Worcester, Massachusetts to the north.
Providence reputedly has more restaurants per capita than any other major city in the United States, making it a culinary enthusiasts's dream. Many of Providence's restaurants are founded or staffed by graduates of the world famous College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University.
For sports enthusiasts, Providence is home to the American Hockey League (AHL) Providence Bruins. Minor League Baseball's (MiLB) Pawtucket Red Sox play close by in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The Red Sox are a Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Providence's proximity to Boston also puts it within an hour of major Massachusetts-based professional sports teams, including Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox, Major League Soccer's (MLS) New England Revolution, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Softball New England Riptide, the NBA's Boston Celtics, the NFL's New England Patriots, the NHL's Boston Bruins, the United Soccer League's (USL) USL-W Division Boston Renegades, and World Team Tennis' (WTT) Boston Lobsters.
=Providence strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Rhode Island):
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Public Transportation Use (vs. State) | Top 3% | ![]() ![]() |
| Racial Diversity (vs. State) | Top 3% | ![]() ![]() |
| Walking and Biking to Work (vs. Peers) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| Affordability of Property Taxes (vs. State) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| Affordability of Rents (vs. State) | Top 13% | ![]() |
| Short Commute Times (vs. State) | Top 15% | ![]() |
Comparing Providence to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Rhode Island (State):
Ratings range from
(lowest) to
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Racial Diversity | ![]() | ![]() |
| Female Share of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | ![]() | ![]() |
| Senior Citizens | ![]() | ![]() |
| Male Share of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Well-Paid Single Men | ![]() | ![]() |
| Age of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | ![]() | ![]() |
| Portion of People Married | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | ![]() | ![]() |
| Median Family Income | ![]() | ![]() |
| People in Middle Class or Better | ![]() | ![]() |
| People Above Poverty | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Walking and Biking to Work | ![]() | ![]() |
| Public Transportation Use | ![]() | ![]() |
| Short Commute Times | ![]() | ![]() |
| Working at Home | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability of Rents | ![]() | ![]() |
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | ![]() | ![]() |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | ![]() | ![]() |
| People Living Alone | ![]() | ![]() |
| Affordability of Property Taxes | ![]() | ![]() |
| Housing Recently Built | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Violent Crime | ![]() | ![]() |
| Low Property Crime | ![]() | ![]() |
Detailed pages on related topics: Providence colleges • Providence travel • Providence mortgage and property.
![]() | Providence Careers Providence career and employment information. |
![]() | Providence Colleges Providence colleges and trade schools. |
![]() | Providence Hotels & Travel Providence hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
![]() | Providence Mortgage Providence property, mortgage, and real estate. |
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We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.

Select a photo to view (Source):
Rhode Island Normal School between 1910 and 1920
Rhode Island Normal School c1906.
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