City Profile

Cranston, Rhode Island

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Cranston is a vibrant Rhode Island city known for its rich history, diverse neighborhoods, and prime location just south of Providence. Originally established as a farming and industrial community, it has evolved into a bustling urban-suburban hub with a strong sense of community and historic charm. People are drawn to Cranston for its excellent school system, accessible parks, and thriving local business districts like Knightsville and Pawtuxet Village.

About Rhode Island

Rhode Island, the smallest U.S. state, offers a coastal New England lifestyle with a strong sense of community. Its economy is diverse, with major industries including healthcare and social assistance, manufacturing, education, professional and technical services, finance and insurance, and tourism and hospitality. Living in Rhode Island is generally more expensive than the national average, particularly due to higher housing and utility costs, though groceries and healthcare are more in line with national averages. The state experiences a New England climate with cold, snowy winters and warm summers, and its small size means beaches and urban amenities are usually a short drive away.

82,928

Population

$69K

Avg Salary

108

Cost Index

61.7

Quality Score

How this 62/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 78 / 100	78.0	30%	23.4
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 108.0	33.8	25%	8.4
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $84,500 Income needed to live here: $58,000 Unemployment rate: 3.9%	79.2	20%	15.8
Growth	Population growth rate: 0.4% Job growth rate: 1.8%	45.5	15%	6.8
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 72 / 100	72.0	10%	7.2
Overall score				61.7

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 2 (reasoned) (q=54, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 16 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Cranston is slightly above the national average, driven largely by housing costs and regional energy expenses in the Northeast. While everyday goods like groceries and healthcare track close to national medians, the competitive New England real estate market pushes overall expenses higher. However, residents generally find the pricing reasonable compared to nearby Boston, making it an attractive alternative for families and professionals.

Average Rent

$1,750/mo

Groceries

$420/mo

Transport

$125/mo

Utilities

$195/mo

Healthcare

$240/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$50.00

Cinema ticket

$14.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$25.00

Monthly groceries

$420.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$160.00

Income

Salary Insights

Cranston boasts a diversified economy anchored by healthcare, retail trade, manufacturing, and professional services. Major local employers and close proximity to Providence provide a robust job market with steady growth across multiple sectors. The city also features a supportive environment for small businesses, bolstered by active commercial districts and an increasing number of remote workers seeking suburban stability.

The average salary in Cranston is $68,500 per year. You would need approximately $58,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Retail Trade +1.10% Manufacturing +1.50% Educational Services +1.00% Healthcare and Social Assistance +2.40% Professional and Technical Services +2.20%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

52°F

Avg Temp

☀️

81°F

Summer High

❄️

22°F

Winter Low

🌧️

46.30"

Annual Rain

💧

65.00%

Humidity

🌤️

253

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Cranston relies primarily on automobiles, with major thoroughfares like Route 10, I-95, and I-295 providing easy access throughout Rhode Island. Public transportation is served by RIPTA bus routes connecting residents to Providence and surrounding areas, though walkability varies heavily by neighborhood. While suburban pockets require a car for daily errands, older commercial centers offer walkable shopping and dining.

24 min

Avg Commute

42.00/10

Transit Score

48.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Median home prices in Cranston remain more affordable than neighboring Boston while offering close proximity to Providence per Zillow data.

Violent crime rates in Cranston consistently trend below national medians according to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics.

The city features vibrant, walkable historic commercial districts like Pawtuxet Village with unique local dining and shops.

Cranston provides excellent geographic connectivity with direct access to I-95 and I-295 for easy regional commuting.

Extensive park systems and recreational spaces like Meshanticut Park offer strong outdoor lifestyle amenities.

Drawbacks

New England regional energy costs push utility expenses above the national average per BLS consumer expenditure reports.

Public transit options are limited outside of core bus routes, maintaining high car dependency for daily commutes.

Housing inventory shortages have driven up rental and purchase prices significantly over recent years.

Winter weather brings heavy snowfall averaging nearly 20 inches annually, requiring significant snow removal upkeep.

Traffic congestion along major commercial corridors like Route 2 can experience heavy bottlenecks during peak hours.

Head to Head

Compare Cranston

Cranston VS Grants Pass Cranston VS Syracuse Cranston VS Binghamton Cranston VS Cincinnati

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Nearby Cities

East Providence

North Providence

Johnston

Pawtucket

Community Q&A

Questions about Cranston

What people ask about living in and moving to Cranston, Rhode Island.

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Gathering the most common questions about Cranston…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.

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