Filled with historic Colonial and Victorian-era commercial and residential architecture, Providence’s rich history is a big part of its appeal. It’s Rhode Island’s state capital and the county seat for Providence County. With nearly 200,000 residents, it’s the most populous city in the state and the third-most populous in New England. It’s also a regional employment hub, home to several of the state’s largest employers, including United Natural Foods, Fortune 500 Textron and a collection of prestigious private universities. But Providence is more than a historic city with employment opportunities. “One of the best things about Providence is the convergence of all the different communities. There’s a blend of academics, business-minded people, then there’s the artsy crowd and the foodies,” says Realtor Alessa Alvarez of Keller Williams Coastal. The city’s dynamism is what keeps locals from leaving long-term. Alvarez: “People in Rhode Island in general, and especially Providence, are very provincial, in that they live and die here and very rarely leave. They might go visit Florida, or wherever, but they always come back. We have four seasons, you can travel from one end of the state to the other in less than an hour, and Providence is one of the most interesting, multifaceted cities in New England.”
Providence stands tall as the capital city of the Union's smallest state.
The Independent Man stands as a symbol of Providence's unique sense of freedom and sovereignty.
Providence's skyline comes equipped with its quintessential center piece: The Superman Building.
Find elegant federal colonial homes in College Hill, a neighborhood steeped in history.
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Low inventory means a hot housing market
“There’s a lack of inventory and a lack of new construction here,” says Alvarez, a Providence local with nearly 10 years of real estate experience. “There’s nowhere to build new, unless you tear down the old houses, and people are reluctant to do that because they want to preserve the history.” Founded in 1636, and one of the oldest cities in New England, there’s a lot of history to preserve. Thirty-five districts and more than 130 individual properties are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, many of which are private residences. In neighborhoods like College Hill and Wayland, it’s not uncommon to see homes with The Rhode Island Historical Preservation Heritage Commission plaques bearing their names and the year they were built. These “plaque houses” come with strict guidelines for modifications. But according to Alvarez, they are some of the most grand, beautiful homes in the city.
The median price for single-family homes in Providence proper is $407,300, which is $9,400 lower than the United States median and $83,263 lower than the state median. The median price for condos in Providence is higher than the state median, though, at $369,000 compared to $352,250. On average, homes in Providence sell after less than 30 days on the market. Alvarez says there’s a big difference between the east and west sides of the city. “The cost of living, starting with the actual home prices, is higher on the east side,” she says, observing that east-side homes tend to be maintained better than west-side homes. “The west side still has a lot of distressed properties for between $300,000 and $500,000 that need a lot of work, but have good bones, so you get more bang for your buck there.” Keller Williams Coastal Realtor Ellen Oaklund, who has more than six years of experience in the Providence market, says that the budget for first-time homebuyers has changed recently. “When I started in real estate, it was under $300,000. Now it’s more like $500,000 or $600,000. If you’re looking in that price range, you’re not looking in Newport, Barrington or East Greenwich. You’re probably not even looking in Providence unless you want a fixer upper. For that price point, you’ll want to look in Warwick, Cranston, even Pawtucket,” she says, referencing three suburb cities surrounding Providence.
Houses in Providence are as eclectic, unique, creative and varied as it's population.
Rows of homes in Providence's residential neighborhoods offer a quiet sense of community.
Victorians dot the bustling neighborhoods around Federal Hill in Providence.
Classic four-square style homes often come zoned for multi-family usage in Providence.
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Private schools and universities galore, including Brown University and Johnson & Wales
The Providence Public Schools system gets a C grade from Niche. The district serves more than 20,000 kids between preschool and 12th grade, with an average student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. Niche ranks the public school districts in Barrington, North Kingstown and East Greenwich, three smaller cities nearby, as the top three best in the state. North Kingstown and East Greenwich both get As from Niche, while Barrington gets an A-plus.
There are more than 50 private schools in Providence proper. The Wheeler School, which earns an A-plus, is a co-ed day school for preschool through 12th grade. It ranks No. 1 on Niche’s list of the best private high schools in Rhode Island. A-plus-rated Moses Brown School comes in at No. 2 on the same list. The independent, Quaker college-prep school serves preschoolers through 8th graders. Founded in the 1780s, it’s one of the oldest prep schools in the country.
In the College Hill neighborhood, just north of downtown, the campuses at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design intertwine. Brown, a private Ivy League research school, offers more than 80 undergraduate programs. RISD, also a private school, is one of the first art and design schools in the U.S. It offers more than 40 bachelor’s degrees. “RISD attracts an artistic crowd, for sure, but Providence locals in general are very curious, creative, artistic and into food,” says Robin Wetherill, the director of membership and external relations for the Providence Athenaeum, a historic membership library in College Hill.
Johnson & Wales University’s main campus is in downtown Providence, too. The private research university offers more than 80 programs, including several culinary arts; Alvarez says that many Johnson & Wales College of Food Innovation & Technology students stay in Providence after graduation, observing that it’s part of the reason the city has such a vibrant restaurant scene. All three universities are major local employers. So are Providence College, a private Catholic university, and Rhode Island College, the state’s first public institution for higher education. Providence College’s NCAA Division I men’s basketball team draws crowds to the Amica Mutual Pavilion downtown for home games; more than 7 million fans have passed through the stadium since it opened in the ‘70s.
Brown University is one of several nationally recognized schools in the Providence area.
George J. West Elementary is one of 12 pre-k through 5th grade schools in the Providence region.
Hope High School serves students from 8th through 12th grades throughout Providence.
Lillian Feinstein Elementary School carries on beloved Feinstein-Providence traditions.
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Eclectic retail and restaurant scene in nearby Fox Point and downtown Providence
On the city’s east side, along the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Fox Point is a lively neighborhood known for its historic homes and an eclectic array of locally owned small businesses and eateries. Downtown is also known for its dining, from casual to fine, as well as its nightlife and entertainment. The Providence Performing Arts Center has put on Broadway performances for more than 45 years. A few blocks away, the Providence Children’s Museum offers an interactive environment for creativity-based learning. The Rhode Island Convention Center hosts gatherings from comic cons to business conventions. It’s connected by a skywalk to Providence Place Mall, a multi-story indoor shopping hub. The historic Rhode Island State House, where the governor and other state representatives have their primary offices, overlooks the district from the north side of the Woonasquatucket River. It’s open year-round for public tours on weekdays. The Independent Man, a gold-covered bronze statue that stands at the top of the state house’s dome, is a Rhode Island icon. Wetherhill says the view of the statue from Prospect Terrace at the top of the College Hill is especially beautiful at sunset. “You can see the whole skyline, it’s an amazing way to appreciate the city.” On the near west side of Providence, Federal Hill is the Rhode Island version of New York City’s “Little Italy,” filled with Italian restaurants and markets. The entrance to the district is marked by a gateway arch over Atwells Avenue, with a hanging sculpture called La Pigna. Locals often refer to the sculpture as “the pineapple,” though it’s actually a pine cone, a traditional Italian symbol for abundance. Visitors from around the state flock to Federal Hill in October to celebrate Italian heritage during the annual Columbus Day Festival, which features more than 80 different food, art and retail vendors, along with live music and amusement rides.
Hope Street in Providence is a major hotspot for unique, locally owned retail and restaurants.
In Federal Hill in Providence, historic Italian restaurants and delis line the street.
Amica Pavillion in Downtown Providence has entertaining events to spare.
High end restaurants in Downtown Providence like Circe offer up unique cocktails and eats.
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Roger Williams Park offers live music, festivals and more
The Trust for Public Land says that 99% of Providence residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. The Providence Parks Department manages and maintains 120 parks and greenspaces throughout the city, including the 435-acre Roger Williams Park. The largest park in the city, it’s home to the Museum of Natural History & Planetarium and the Roger Williams Park Zoo & Carousel Village, which puts on a weekly food truck festival on Fridays in the summer. On the south end of Roger Williams Park, the Temple to Music is a Greek-style outdoor stage that hosts annual Rhode Island Philharmonic concerts. WaterFire Providence draws crowds from around the city and surrounding areas to Waterplace Park in downtown, where floating lanterns illuminate live music performances, local vendors and food trucks along the banks during the annual summertime event series.
At the Providence basin, historic events like WaterFire bring together thousands every week.
At Roger Williams Zoo, Providence residents can get up close and personal to the animals.
Providence floods it's park areas throughout the summer during concert events.
Burnside Park is the central heart of Providence located at the base of it's skyline.
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Major highways connect out-of-state, bus and rail lines available
Interstate 95 runs northeast-southwest through the city, parallel to U.S. Route 1. Boston is about 50 miles, or about a 1-hour drive, northeast via I-95. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Providence/Stoughton line provides park-and-ride commuter rail service from Providence to Boston. The train ride typically takes about an hour and 15 minutes. “A lot of people work in Boston, but live here because it’s more affordable,” Alvarez says. Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport is in Warwick, about 9 miles south down I-95. Interstate 195 connects southeast from downtown across the Providence River and into Massachusetts. Interstate 295 curves around the west side of the city, also toward Massachusetts. Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus routes web the city, with stops at major local employers like the universities and hospitals, including Rhode Island Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center and The Miriam Hospital.
Catch a bus ride near Providence Performing Arts Center in Downtown Providence.
Hoxie Four Corners has been central for commuters for several generations.
Access to T.F. Green is just a quick 15 minute drive from Rocky Point.
T.F. Green International Airport connects Providence to hundreds of points beyond Rhode Island.
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Year-over-year decline in crime
The FBI reports 3,616 property crimes committed in Providence in 2023, a more than 24% decline from the previous year’s 4,802. According to the FBI, violent crime also declined between 2022 and 2023, from 2,564 to 2,421. The CAP Index crime score for most neighborhoods in the city ranges between 4 and 6 out of 10, which is on par with and slightly higher than the national average of 4 out of 10.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
