Pawtucket, RI vs Cranston, 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 Pawtucket, RI at $26,908 per resident and in Cranston, RI at $26,714.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Pawtucket, RI at 11% of total revenue, whereas Cranston, RI relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Pawtucket spends 3.0% 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 | $22 | $85 |
| Intergovernmental | $333 | $12,769 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $0 |
| Other | $583 | $4,701 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $328 | $866 |
| Highways & Roads | $305 | $0 |
| Education | $26,908 | $26,714 |
| Public Welfare | $560 | $2,195 |
| Health | $3 | $507 |
| Hospitals | $207 | $236 |
| Parks & Recreation | $286 | $475 |
| Housing | $5,621 | $4,165 |
| Sewerage | $153 | $152 |
| Utilities | $1,564 | $0 |
| Other | $6,864 | $6,233 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.