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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Providence, RI

Population: 189,715 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

F
32/100

Critical — severe fiscal distress requiring immediate attention

Total Spending
$9.5B
Per Capita
$50,124
Total Revenue
$7.3B
Total Debt
$315.7M

Spending Breakdown

Education
58.0%$5.5B
Other
17.3%$1.6B
Housing & Community Development
11.0%$1.0B
Utilities
7.2%$685.8M
Hospitals
1.5%$145.9M
Parks & Recreation
1.3%$123.8M
Highways & Roads
1.2%$114.8M
Fire Protection
0.9%$86.2M
Public Welfare
0.7%$71.1M
Health
0.4%$41.5M
Sewerage
0.4%$38.8M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.0%$2.3M
Sales Tax
0.3%$18.4M
Intergovernmental
1.8%$131.8M
Charges & Fees
12.9%$944.9M
Other
15.1%$1.1B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$455/person
Highways & Roads$605/person
Parks & Recreation$653/person
Education$29,047/person
Health$219/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)8/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$315.7M
Long-Term Debt$0
Debt Per Capita$1,664
Cash & Securities$31.6M

Compare Cities

See how Providence stacks up against another city.

vs Warwick, RIvs Cranston, RIvs Pawtucket, RI
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Rhode Island

Warwick, RI

Pop. 83K

C
Total Spending
$3.8B
Per Capita
$46,415

Cranston, RI

Pop. 83K

D
Total Spending
$3.4B
Per Capita
$41,543

Pawtucket, RI

Pop. 75K

D
Total Spending
$3.2B
Per Capita
$42,799

Compare Providence With

Warwick, RI

Spending: $46,415/person · Grade: C

Cranston, RI

Spending: $41,543/person · Grade: D

Pawtucket, RI

Spending: $42,799/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Providence, RI spends $50,124 per resident, based on total expenditures of $9.5B for a population of 189,715. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of F (32/100).

Providence, RI has total expenditures of $9.5B and total revenue of $7.3B. The city carries $315.7M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Providence, RI employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Providence, RI has a Fiscal Health Score of F (32/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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