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CityLedger

Providence vs Richmond

Metro-area medians — Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Metro Area vs Richmond, VA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Richmond comes out ahead, winning 7 of the 9 clearly-decided measures.

Richmond costs about 4% less to live in, and household incomes are similar. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Richmond.

Their widest everyday difference: Richmond has the tighter job market — 3.8% unemployment versus 4.6%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Providence, RI
$58,910
take-home / yr · 21% to tax
$57,883
real value after local prices
Richmond, VA
$57,747
take-home / yr · 23% to tax
$59,011
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Richmond leaves you about $1,128/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Providence
Richmond
Livability (CityLedger)
52/100
62/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
101.8
97.9
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$81,426
$85,287
Median household income
$82,870
$83,460
Median rent
$1,396/mo
$1,546/mo
Median home value
$471,000
$378,100
Unemployment
4.6%
3.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher
36.5%
42.9%
Average commute
27.9 min
26.6 min
Air quality (median AQI)
42
44
Avg temperature
52°F
59°F

Choose Providence for

  • + Median rent
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Providence profile →

Choose Richmond for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Average commute
Full Richmond profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Providence and Richmond on cost, income, size, and education.

Providence vs Jacksonville→Providence vs Allentown→Providence vs Virginia Beach→Richmond vs Jacksonville→Richmond vs Virginia Beach→Richmond vs Nashville→

Providence vs Richmond — frequently asked

Is Providence cheaper than Richmond?
Richmond is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 4% below Providence's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Providence or Richmond?
Household incomes are similar — $82,870 in the Providence metro versus $83,460 in Richmond (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in Providence or Richmond?
A paycheck stretches further in Richmond. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $85,287 there versus $81,426 in Providence.
Which has cheaper rent, Providence or Richmond?
Providence has cheaper rent — a median of $1,396/mo versus $1,546/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).