In Providence County, Rhode Island, rent on a two-bedroom takes about one in three dollars of the typical household's income
In Providence County, 30.7% of the median household's income would go to rent on a two-bedroom at HUD's fair market rent (HUD and Census Bureau, HUD rent fiscal year 2027; household income 2024). That is higher than in 97% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 67% of U.S. counties.
What drives Providence County's score
In Providence County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 85.3. Rent on a two-bedroom takes 30.7% of the median household's income (fiscal year 2027), higher than in 97% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 65.4.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Providence County does better than most counties on two measures: people without health insurance (5.4%, 2020 to 2024) and median household income ($73,462, 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Providence County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 85.4 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorHUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income30.7% · fiscal year 202797th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent22.1% · 2020 to 202473rd percentile
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- 65.4 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind6.0% · August 202562nd percentile
- People with a credit card behind6.7% · August 202568th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score27.2% · Q4 202565th percentile
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- 57.9 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working19.9% · 2020 to 202445th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average4.6% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202670th percentile
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- 50.4 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector24.2% · August 202553rd percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people120.2 · 202546th percentile
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- 43.4 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line19.5% · 202462nd percentile
- People with a disability14.4% · 2020 to 202434th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$73,462 · 202432nd percentile
- People below the poverty line14.8% · 202463rd percentile
- People without health insurance5.4% · 2020 to 202424th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Providence County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Providence County
Rhode Island
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Providence County in 2024, pay from work was 62 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 15 cents. Benefit checks were 23 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 11 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Providence County, benefit checks rose from 11 to 23 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Providence County, Rhode Island: 23.1% and 62.3% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 23.1% of all personal income in Providence County, Rhode Island (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Providence County, 16.3% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Providence County has changed
The number of people living in Providence County grew by about 18% between 1969 and 2024, from 573,222 to 675,912. The number of jobs located there stayed about the same from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 6.7% in 1990 to 4.9% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 573,222 | 2024 675,912 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 279,022 | 2024 288,107 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 6.7% | 2025 4.9% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 12.1% | 2024 14.8% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $27,985 | 2024 $73,462 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 11.2% | 2024 23.1% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Providence County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 660,741, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
1703
Constituted June 22, 1703, as County of Providence Plantations with five towns: Providence, Warwick, Westerly, Kingstown, Greenwich. Wikipedia
1922
1922 New England Textile Strike affected Providence, shutting down mills. Wikipedia
1925
Manufacturing began to shut down beginning in mid-1920s. Wikipedia
1938
New England Hurricane of 1938 flooded downtown Providence and destroyed textile mills. Wikipedia
1940
Great Migration and white middle class exodus 1940-1970. Wikipedia
1986
Tornado: $2.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2010
Flood: $26.64 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2013
Flash flood: $1.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2022
Flash flood: $1 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1978
25 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Providence County, 5 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Providence County beside its neighbors
Providence County scores higher than all six counties that border it, in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. For the share of income from benefit checks, Providence County ranks 2nd of the seven; Bristol County is highest, at 23.3%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County, RI | 67 | 14.8% | 23.1% |
| Bristol County, MA | 53 | 10.2% | 23.3% |
| Worcester County, MA | 39 | 9.6% | 18.8% |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 33 | 7.7% | 21.8% |
| Kent County, RI | 32 | 7.8% | 19.8% |
| Norfolk County, MA | 15 | 6.4% | 9.5% |
| Bristol County, RI | 7 | 6.7% | 13.4% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Providence County the poorest county in Rhode Island?
Yes, Providence County's poverty rate was 14.8% in 2024, the highest of 5 counties in Rhode Island (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Providence County ranks 1st of 5 in the state.
Providence County in photographs
Places in Providence County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Providence county courthouse, Rhode Island.
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Providence County, Rhode Island: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Providence County, Rhode Island?
14.8% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in seven people. Among children it was 19.5%.
Is Providence County the poorest county in Rhode Island?
Yes, Providence County's poverty rate was 14.8% in 2024, the highest of 5 counties in Rhode Island (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Providence County ranks 1st of 5 in the state.
What is the population of Providence County, Rhode Island?
About 675,912 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 660,741, the most of any census.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Providence County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Pawtucket Central Falls Development Corporation
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Providence Housing Authority
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Rhode Island Legal Services (RILS)
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Providence County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Providence County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.