Metro Life Score
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
Below-median composite Life Score — grade C+, 37th percentile of the national corpus.
- 46.7
- Life Score / 100
- C+
- Grade (curved)
- #243
- of 387 metros
- 37%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
Verify: BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · Census · Report a data issue · Data changelog
The verdict
Providence-Warwick is below-median composite Life Score — #243 of 387 (46.7/100, grade C+, 37th percentile). Carried by safety at 97/100; held back most by cost of living at 15/100.
- 37th
- composite percentile
- #243
- of 387 peers
- 15th
- cost dimension percentile
- 92nd
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · signature wages
Providence-Warwick: pay power is the signature
Providence-Warwick stamps MID · RENT-SQUEEZE with wages at the 92nd percentile of the metro corpus (PEAK) — ahead of its cost mark (DEAR, 15th) and composite #243. Safety (97/100) amplifies the lead; Cost of Living (15/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Providence-Warwick, RI-MA ranks #243 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #329 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 101.8 (rent-RPP 103.9). BLS median salary $77,588, 683,510 jobs (Fast Food and Counter Workers, Retail Salespersons, Home Health and Personal Care Aides). HUD 2BR FMR $1,527/mo (studio $1,203).
FBI UCR (RI): 155 violent, 1040 property/100K. NCES: 13.8:1 ratio, 13.3% charter. DOL infant childcare $15,433/yr. EPA: 13 Superfund sites (RI).
Where Providence-Warwick sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
47 37th percentile higher than 37% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
Dimension detail
How Providence-Warwick scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are RI state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Providence-Warwick With...
Ranking Context
Providence-Warwick outranks 37% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #240 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 46.8 | C+ |
| #241 | Bend, OR | 46.8 | C+ |
| #242 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 46.9 | C+ |
| #243 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 46.7 | C+ |
| #244 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | 46.5 | C+ |
| #245 | Savannah, GA | 46.4 | C+ |
| #246 | Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 46.4 | C+ |
Read with Providence-Warwick
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Providence-Warwick (MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/PEAK), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Bend, OR
ABS(composite) peer at 46.8 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/PEAK.
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
ABS(composite) peer at 46.8 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/PEAK.
Kansas City, MO-KS
ABS(composite) peer at 46.9 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/PEAK.
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL
ABS(composite) peer at 46.5 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/PEAK.
Portland-South Portland, ME (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 15/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp CEILING vs this metro's DEAR.
Hanford-Corcoran, CA (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 15/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · RENT-SQUEEZE · DEAR/PEAK - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.