Providence County, Rhode Island

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.4 | 660,615 people · 1st most distressed in Rhode Island
American Default Research

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Providence County, RI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.4 — 951st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Rhode Island, it ranks 1st of 5 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Providence County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 86.0 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 86.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Employment & Wages 67.0
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Business Formation Rate 42
Income & Poverty 61.8
Poverty Rate 43
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 47
Debt & Delinquency 49.3
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 58
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 47
Community Vulnerability 27.9
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 35

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Providence County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Providence County
Providence County, RI 58.4 Elevated —
Bristol County, MA 57.9 Elevated -0.5
Worcester County, MA 48.6 Normal -9.8
Kent County, RI 46.7 Normal -11.7
Norfolk County, MA 35.8 Normal -22.6
Bristol County, RI 33.1 Healthy -25.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Providence County
Pasco County, FL 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Lucas County, OH 58.5 Elevated +0.1
Marion County, OR 58.2 Elevated -0.2
Milwaukee County, WI 58.2 Elevated -0.2
Prince George's County, MD 58.1 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Providence County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Providence County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Providence County.

NEIGHBORWORKS BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY
Woonsocket
401-762-0993 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPost-PurchasePre-Lease/Pre-PurchasePre-Purchase
PAWTUCKET CENTRAL FALLS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Pawtucket
401-726-1173 Website
Pre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
PROVIDENCE HOUSING AUTHORITY
Providence
401-751-6400 Website
Financial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
RHODE ISLAND HOUSING HELP CENTER
Providence
401-457-1000 Website
Foreclosure Prevention
WEST ELMWOOD HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Providence
401-453-3220 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab

See all counselors in Rhode Island →

Find an Attorney

Rhode Island Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Rhode Island Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 401-421-5740

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Providence County residents at no cost.

Rhode Island Legal Services (RILS) 401-274-2652

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Rhode Island →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Providence County, Rhode Island?

    Providence County has a County Distress Index score of 58.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 951st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Rhode Island out of 5 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Providence County?

    The primary driver of distress in Providence County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 86.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Providence County compare to neighboring counties?

    Providence County (58.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Bristol County, MA (57.9); Worcester County, MA (48.6); Kent County, RI (46.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Providence County?

    Providence County, Rhode Island has a population of approximately 660,615 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.