Cranston, RI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Rhode Island·Cranston

Why look at Cranston?

  • Mid-tier housing market. Median home is $452k.
  • Stable market. Home values -0.1% year-over-year — neither overheated nor falling.
  • Growing population. ~0.5%/yr — typically signals jobs + investment.
Cranston, RI
Image: Wikipedia · Cranston, Rhode Island
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Cranston stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.1% in the last year.

Median home $452,216
1-year -0.1%
5-yr growth +6.4%
vs 5-yr peak -0.1%
Population +0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-04$452k$203k$292k$381k$471k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
76/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,085/mo$1,323$1,767$2,210202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent134145100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.1
Lean buy

At a 18.1 price-to-rent ratio, Cranston is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
50 · w22%
Home 5-yr growth
71 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
54 · w16%
Rent YoY
79 · w12%
Home 10-yr growth
78 · w10%

About Cranston (Wikipedia)

Cranston, formerly known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. Its official population in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second-largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston. Cranston is a part of the Providence metropolitan area.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Incorporated (City)1910cite encyclopedia

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Providence County right now.

NWS active alerts (RI)Rhode Island Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Providence County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Run the numbers for Cranston

ToolCan I afford Cranston?Income → city shortlistToolCompare Cranston to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCranston cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Rhode Island context

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
37° / 22°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
198
~54% of year
Annual precip
48″ rain
30″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Providence-Warwick area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Cranston listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-28 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Filtered for Cranston-specific coverage. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$81,800
Rhode Island state median
Top industries (state-level)
HealthcareEducationManufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Find more cities like Cranston

Open the matchmaker pre-filled to match Cranston’s price band, region, and size — refine to taste.

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Cities similar to Cranston

Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.

See all Rhode Island cities →    Browse best-of lists →

Cost-of-ownership at the median

Tax burden
moderate state tax
~29% all-in for a $150k earner
Property tax / yr
$6k
1.40% × median home $452k
Climate / hazard
limited data
Plan for the local hazard profile.

Snapshot assumes a $150k single earner buying at the median home. Your real numbers depend on bracket, deductions, school district, and HOA. Use the affordability calculator and net-pay calculator for your specific case.

Schools & crime context

Schools

School quality is district-by-district and varies dramatically within a city. Check GreatSchools or your state DOE rankings for specific schools before deciding. City-level school data coming soon.

Crime

Rhode Island: 248 violent crimes per 100K residents (state avg, FBI UCR). Neighborhood-level rates can vary 10× within one city — research specific areas via CrimeGrade or local police data.

Compare to where you live now

Set your current city once and we’ll show the cost delta on every city profile.