Providence, RI vs Pawtucket, RI
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Providence, RI spends 17% more per resident than Pawtucket, RI: $50,124 against $42,799. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Pawtucket, RI holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 45/100 (grade D) against 32/100 (grade F) for Providence, RI — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Pawtucket, RI carries the lighter load at $465 per resident versus $1,664 for Providence, RI. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Providence, RI at $29,047 per resident and in Pawtucket, RI at $26,908.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Providence, RI at 15% of total revenue, whereas Pawtucket, RI relies most on charges and fees at 11%.
Summary
Providence spends 17.1% more per capita than Pawtucket ($7,325/person difference). Pawtucket, RI has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 45/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $12 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $97 | $22 |
| Intergovernmental | $695 | $333 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,981 | $2,813 |
| Other | $5,833 | $583 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $455 | $328 |
| Highways & Roads | $605 | $305 |
| Education | $29,047 | $26,908 |
| Public Welfare | $375 | $560 |
| Health | $219 | $3 |
| Hospitals | $769 | $207 |
| Parks & Recreation | $653 | $286 |
| Housing | $5,495 | $5,621 |
| Sewerage | $204 | $153 |
| Utilities | $3,615 | $1,564 |
| Other | $8,688 | $6,864 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.