Top Providence Neighborhoods For Young Black Professionals, Singles & Black Families – Rhode Island
The cost of living in Providence, Rhode Island, is only 8% higher than the national average. Providence looks attractive to many considering a change in scenery, especially considering it often makes lists of the best places to live on the East Coast. But how does it stack up for African Americans?
In this article we’ll look at the best Providence neighborhoods for black families, black singles, & black young professionals.
Contents
3 Best Providence Suburbs for Black Families
Some of the best Providence neighborhoods for black families are in the suburbs. We decided to identify the best neighborhoods by those that are best for families. Here are the three best suburbs for black families, in no particular order.
Center Falls
Center Falls is a suburb in Providence County that has a population of 19,429. The neighborhood gives you an urban-suburban feel, with lots of parks for the kids, restaurants for family meals, and bars and coffee shops.
According to Niche.com, Center Falls is the 4th most diverse suburb in Rhode Island. The demographic breakdown reflects the suburb’s diversity: 66% Hispanic, 20% Caucasian, 9% Black, 3% Two or more races, 1% other, and 1% Asian.
If you’re looking to buy a home in this suburb, you’ll be happy to hear that the median home value in this suburb is $159,100, which is much lower than the national median home value of $217,500.
If you’re not ready to buy, you’ll still pay less than the national median rent since the median rent in Center Falls is $852, and the national median rent is $1,062.
More residents rent than own their homes, with a split of 80% renters and 20% homeowners. If you’re wondering about the politics in this suburb, the residents tend to be liberal.
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant has a population of 11,859 and is in Providence County. If you’re looking for a suburban neighborhood without a dense feel, then you’ll want to consider Mount Pleasant. It has lots of bars and coffee shops, and parks for outdoor fun and restaurants to choose from, making the neighborhood attractive for families.
Mount Pleasant is the 4th most diverse neighborhood in Providence, according to Niche.com’s rankings. Its demographic breakdown is 42% Hispanic, 35% Caucasian, 18% Black, 4% Asian, and 2% two or more races.
Mount Pleasant is another neighborhood where you’ll find the median home value attractive when compared to the national median. The median home value in Mount Pleasant is $183,795, more than $30,000 lower than the national median. On the renter’s side, you’ll pay a bit more than the national median since the median in Mount Pleasant is $1,111 compared with $1,062.
The fact that you can buy a home for a better value than rent in this neighborhood shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are more homeowners than renters. The split is 55% homeowners and 45% renters. Mount Pleasant is another neighborhood that is considered liberal.
Valley
Valley is a neighborhood with a population of 6,084 and is in Providence County. This suburb gives you an urban-suburban feel and is a great place to raise a family. There are many things to do in the neighborhood, with lots of parks, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars.
Niche.com recognizes Valley as the 6th most diverse neighborhood in Providence and the 7th best neighborhood to raise a family in Providence. If you want to know what the neighborhood’s diversity looks like, the breakdown is as follows: 49% Hispanic, 24% Caucasian, 17% Black, 5% Asian, 4% two or more races, and 1% other.
The median home value in Valley is $152,193, making Valley another neighborhood with a significantly lower median home value than the national median. The median rent is higher than the national median on the renters’ side, coming in at 1,093.
Although rent is higher than the national median, Valley has more renters than homeowners, with 81% of residents renting their homes and 19% owning their homes. Valley is another neighborhood where the residents’ political leanings are liberal.
2 Best Neighborhoods for Singles & Black Professionals
We know that Black singles and professionals may be looking for different things from their neighborhood than those with young families. We’ve researched the top Providence suburbs for young black professionals & singles and have found two that we think are best.
South Elmwood
South Elmwood is a neighborhood in Providence county with a population of 5,017 and a dense suburban feel. There are many young professionals in the area, and you’ll find lots of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops there as well.
Niche.com recognizes South Elwood as the 2nd most diverse neighborhood in Providence. The diversity in this neighborhood is 42% Caucasian, 37% Hispanic, 8% Black, 7% Asian, and 6% two or more races.
The median home value in South Elwood is $182,592, making it another Providence neighborhood that has a lower median home value than the national median of $217,500. South Elwood is similar to Valley in that, while you’re chances of buying a home below the national median or good, the chances of finding a place to rent below the national median are hard. The median rent in South Elwood is $1,106.
Unlike Valley, there are more homeowners than renters in South Elwood. 57% of residents own their homes, and 43% of residents rent. South Elwood residents tend to be liberal.
Smith Hill
Smith Hill is located in Providence County and has a population of 6,869. The neighborhood gives you the urban-suburban feel, and many young professionals call it home. Smith Hill is another neighborhood in Providence with a selection of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Niche.com rates Smith Hill as the 3rd most diverse neighborhood in Providence and the 5th best neighborhood for young professionals. The demographic breakdown of ethnic diversity is 44% Hispanic, 25% Caucasian, 21% Black, 5% Asian, and 4% two or more races.
Smith Hill’s median home value is almost $60,000 less than the national median value coming in at $160,015. If you’re planning to rent, you’ll still be paying less than the national median since the median rent in Smith Hill’s is $1000.
It’s not a surprise that since Smith Hill is attractive to young professionals, there are more renters than homeowners. The breakdown in this liberal-leaning neighborhood is 78% renters and 22% homeowners.
Is Providence Safe?
We took a look at Statista.com’s Peacefulness ranking. Based on the U.S. Peace Index 2012, Rhode Island, the state Providence is located in, ranks 1.79. The lower the score, the more peaceful the state. The state with the highest score is Louisiana at 4.05, and Maine is the most peaceful state, scoring 1.31.
When it comes to violent crime, Rhode Island scores on the low end with a rate of 221.1 crimes per 100,000 residents. Maine has the lowest violent crime rate at 115.2, while the District of Columbia has the highest rate at 1,049.
What is Providence’s Demographic?
According to the U.S. Census, the breakdown of Providence’s demographic is as follows:
- Population: 190,934
- Caucasian: 33.1%
- Hispanic: 43.3
- Black and African American: 16.8
- Asian: 6%
- Two or more races: 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaskan Native: 1%
- Native Hawaiian: 0.1%
The numbers don’t add up to 100% due to respondents indicating Hispanic can identify as another race, and those numbers are in their relevant race category.
Best Providence Neighborhoods
We searched the best Providence neighborhoods without including diversity as a determining factor, and the top five areas are below. We’ve indicated the ethnic diversity of each city for your information.
- Barrington: 89% Caucasian, 4% Asian, 4% Hispanic, 3% two or more races, and 0% Black
- Blackstone: 80% Caucasian, 7% Asian, 4% Black, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, and 1% other race
- Wayland: 73% Caucasian, 18% Asian, 3% Hispanic, 3% Black, and 3% two or more races
- Fox Point: 64% Caucasian, 15% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 6% Black, 4% Two or more races, and 1% other race
- Newport: 77% Caucasian, 10% Hispanic, 6% Black, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian, and 1% American Indian and Alaskan Native
Top Providence Neighborhoods For Black Families, Conclusion
We’ve revealed the best Providence neighborhoods for black families, singles, and young professionals. No matter who you are, you can find a neighborhood that you can feel good about calling home in Providence. If you’re looking for a safe community where you can find an affordable place to live, there are neighborhoods in Providence that have what you want.
