2018 Best Places to Live in Providence CountyAbout this List

Blackstone

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 3

Niche User: Good central location to Boston, New York, Connecticut and more. Beautiful, growing small historical city. Cons are high taxes and the public transit could absolutely extend/improve.
Read 3 Reviews

• A+

• C-

• 14,296 Population

Wayland

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 12

Niche User: I love it here, but don't know about city stats.
Read 12 Reviews

• A

• C-

• 4,777 Population

College Hill

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 25

Current Resident: The College Hill area is home to students from RISD and Brown University. There are many restaurants in the area, in particular on Wickenden Street, Thayer Street and South Main Street. There are also many bars and great spots for a drink. College Hill is close to Downcity Providence, which also has many restaurants and bars/clubs. As well as residential homes, College Hill has dorms and apartments that students rent. It is overall a safe area, although one should not walk alone at night. College Hill is, literally, a very big hill, so be prepared for a good workout!
Read 25 Reviews

• A

• C-

• 12,948 Population

Fox Point

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 1

Niche User: The local restaurants are easily accessible and affordable, the bus system is slow but easy to use, streets are well lit and feel safe.
Read 1 Review

• A

• C-

• 5,079 Population

Hope

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 9

Niche User: Great access to parks and running trails. Great art scene too!
Read 9 Reviews

• A

• C-

• 4,822 Population

Mount Hope

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 2

• A-

• C-

• 5,833 Population

Smithfield

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 23

Visitor: I took a ride up to the Bryant University Campus in Smithfield, Rhode Island only to find that it was one of the most beautiful areas to visit in the state. The ride up to the campus was incredible. The roads were enclosed by magnificent rock structures that gave you the feeling of being in the country side. Once inside the city I felt as if I caught a breath of fresh air. Minimal traffic relaxed me and extensive foliage lining the streets truly caught my eye. I loved the few neighborhood bars and restaurants I passed, it was nice not to see chain restaurants every two feet. Upon my arrival at the campus I was greeted by the kindest people. They were all willing to help me find the building I was looking for and some even held a door or two open for me.
Overall, Smithfield was a great experience. Whether you go there for the food, the view, socialization, or the education I cannot see anyone having any troubles.
Read 23 Reviews

• A-

• B

• 21,611 Population

Cumberland

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 36

Current Resident: I love it here! I have lived here all my life, and the community is amazing. The people are kind, and everyone knows everyone. The schools are very respectable, and the teachers are amazing.
Read 36 Reviews

• B+

• B

• 34,498 Population

Lincoln

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 53

Current Resident: It's a pretty area and has living environmemts for all, from apartments to extremely large homes. There are great parks to explore, one with water activities and fishing (Lincoln Woods) and the other a great area to run and walk or sled in the winter (Chase Farms.) It could use more parks with playgrounds for children, but they're are some close by in neighboring towns. There is also shopping and entertainment close at the Lincoln mall and many colleges in the area.
Read 53 Reviews

• B+

• B+

• 21,630 Population

Reservoir

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 4

• B+

• C-

• 5,048 Population

Elmhurst

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 11

Niche User: Since I have lived here, there has been no crime or safety concerns. Everyone is friendly and things in the community are well kept. Everyone works together.
Read 11 Reviews

• B+

• C-

• 13,434 Population

Cranston

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 121

Former Resident: Cranston, Rhode Island is my hometown and where I grew up until I was eighteen years old. I used to live near Reservoir Avenue where a plethora of businesses and restaurants reside. There are two Cranston Schools containing a relatively good education system. There is waste management that comes by to residences houses to pick up trash every week and each home is provided with district garbage barrels. It is a community where you get to know people and recognize familiar faces. Crime rate isn't bad, based on my knowledge. A large portion of Reservoir Avenue roads were just repaved and they look great, can't lie.
Read 121 Reviews

• B+

• B

• 80,979 Population

Cumberland Hill

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 43

Current Resident: I have lived in this specific area my entire life. I have hardly experienced any crime, and have never feared for my life, even walking or biking at night. The public schools are clean, spacious places that take bullying, violence, and other issues very seriously. Though I hope to someday move elsewhere or experience the rest of the world, I am grateful I had a safe and freedom-filled childhood in this area.
Read 43 Reviews

• B+

• B

• 8,062 Population

Mount Pleasant

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 11

Niche User: I feel that the area I live in is nice, however there are some surrounding areas that are a little bit unsafe. But that's true for any place that people live. I live in the suburbs of Providence and it has a very peaceful atmosphere to it. There's a high school near by, kids playing outside, people exercising, and people walking their dogs. The downtown area Providence is very lively. There's a mall, plenty of restaurants, as well as activities for the public to take part in, such as Water Fire and parades. In comparison to other places in the United States, I believe that Providence is one of a kind.
Read 11 Reviews

• B

• C-

• 12,305 Population

Glocester

• Town in Rhode Island
• 9

Nearby Resident: Its a rural-ish residential town. There are some businesses, but not many. Live here if you don't want to be around too many people.
Read 9 Reviews

• B

• B

• 9,993 Population

North Providence

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 52

Current Resident: North Providence is a beautiful town with alot of great people. Everything is close and convenient. The little local stores are a great place to shop, the people are helpful and mostly the prices are fair. The parks are clean and safe, the police constantly patrol them which I love having small children. Notte Park is always having something going on in the park for family fun. Including the memorial day parade, red nose day, fourth of July celebration with fireworks, pumpkin spectacular, and free pictures with Santa. It is a nice place to live.
Read 52 Reviews

• B

• B

• 32,345 Population

Greenville

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 5

Niche User: Greenville is great. The people are nice, the Smithfield Crossings have all of the shopping you need, there are plenty of great restaurants, everything is clean, there is little crime, there are lots of activities for both children and adults.
Read 5 Reviews

• B

• B

• 8,388 Population

Smith Hill

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 3

Current Resident: My community is very safe and friendly. I live in a residential area that provides diversity and is very family oriented. It is close enough to downtown which makes the commute fairly easy but it is also secluded enough that it can be quiet and remote.
Read 3 Reviews

• B

• C-

• 7,332 Population

Downtown

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 9

• B

• C-

• 4,910 Population

North Smithfield

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 41

Current Resident: A beautiful town with everything you need! The school district is fantastic and the residents are quite warm and welcoming. Most if not all areas and neighborhoods are incredibly safe and quiet. Located only 20 minutes from Providence and about an hour away from Boston, North Smithfield is in a great, convenient location.
Read 41 Reviews

• B

• B

• 12,301 Population

Providence

• City in Rhode Island
• 140

Current Resident: I have lived in Providence all my life with spending only two years living in another state. To be honest, I just love Providence and how everything is always so easily accessible. You can drive throughout the state within an hour and still be able to have enough time to do a historical tour in Providence. We may be a small state, but we are known for some of the oldest historical buildings and history. Along with some of the best schools in the country: Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. And not to mention the cultural diversity of this city is so diverse its hard not to meet someone who is of a different ethnicity. The food is amazing and the people here are great! The ocean; as I like to say is literally two minutes away from my childhood home and you are bound to have a blast if you decide to come visit or live in Providence.
Read 140 Reviews

• B

• C-

• 179,509 Population

Washington Park

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 12

• B

• C-

• 10,186 Population

Manton

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 3

Niche User: Providence, RI, as a whole, is a wonderful place to be. It truly is the 'creative capital,' with a plethora of gorgeous art installments, unique new restaurants, and farmer's markets all year round. In the main park, activities are offered for children of all ages, with local musicians making regular appearances. Festivals of every type are always offered in one location or another, which means that there's never a lack of excitement in the city. Would I choose to live here again? Absolutely. Of course, no metropolitan area is without its share of problems, and we experience things like discrimination, violence, blatant and excessive drug use, and mediocre public transportation. Above that, though, Providence only seems to be improving, with more and more offered to citizens every year. Our capital truly seems to combine the splendor of the big city (i.e., Boston, New York City, etc.) and small-town community values.
Read 3 Reviews

• B

• C-

• 5,559 Population

Valley

• Neighborhood in Providence, RI
• 16

• B

• C-

• 6,270 Population

Valley Falls

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• 22

Niche User: The police enforce anything that goes wrong but there are still some corrupt people in our community.
Read 22 Reviews

• B

• B-

• 12,056 Population