Cranston, RI vs Pawtucket, RI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pawtucket, RI and Cranston, RI spend within 3.0% of each other per resident — $42,799 versus $41,543 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Cranston, RI edges Pawtucket, RI on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 47/100 (grade D) to 45/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Cranston, RI reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Pawtucket, RI carries $465 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Cranston, RI at $26,714 per resident and in Pawtucket, RI at $26,908.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Cranston, RI at 100% of total revenue, whereas Pawtucket, RI relies most on charges and fees at 11%.
Summary
Pawtucket spends 2.9% more per capita than Cranston ($1,257/person difference). Cranston, RI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 47/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $85 | $22 |
| Intergovernmental | $12,769 | $333 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,813 |
| Other | $4,701 | $583 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $866 | $328 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $305 |
| Education | $26,714 | $26,908 |
| Public Welfare | $2,195 | $560 |
| Health | $507 | $3 |
| Hospitals | $236 | $207 |
| Parks & Recreation | $475 | $286 |
| Housing | $4,165 | $5,621 |
| Sewerage | $152 | $153 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,564 |
| Other | $6,233 | $6,864 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.