East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 47,139 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-largest city in the state.

Geography

East Providence is located between the Providence and Seekonk Rivers on the west and the Seekonk area of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

on the east. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (19.33%) is water. The following villages are located in East Providence: * East Providence Center * Riverside * Rumford

Governance

The city of East Providence is governed by an elected mayor and a five-member city council, with the mayor and counselors elected every four years. City council members are elected one each from four wards and one elected at-large.

Executive branch

The mayor is both the ceremonial leader of the city and the chief executive officer. The mayor runs the daily operations of the city, enforces the charter and ordinances of the city and appoints all department heads except the city clerk. The current mayor of East Providence is Roberto DaSilva, who took office on January 9, 2019. Until January 9, 2019, the day-to-day operations were managed by a professional city manager appointed by the city council, and the mayor was the president of the city council, acting ceremonially.

Legislative branch

The city council sets all city ordinances, sets the budget of the city (with recommendation from the mayor) and provides legislative oversight for city operations. The city council elects a council president and council vice-president to preside over meetings. The city council also appoints the city clerk. Up until 2019, The city council served two-year terms, and the city council oversaw the entire city government under a council-manager system. , the members of the East Providence City Council are: * Robert Rodericks—At-Large (council vice-president) * Robert Britto—Ward 1 (council president) * Anna Sousa—Ward 2 * Nathan Cahoon—Ward 3 * Ricardo Mourato—Ward 4

Judicial branch

The city of East Providence has a municipal court, which hears cases regarding violations of municipal ordinances, housing code violations and minor traffic violations. The city also has a probate court, which handles estates, name changes, guardianships and related matters. Judges for both courts are appointed by the mayor with confirmation by the city council for a term of two years.

Education governance

The city also has an elected school committee, elected for two-year terms by the same ward system as the city council. The school committee has broad authority to manage the school system, including setting all school system policies, setting the school system budget (within the general appropriation by the city, state and federal government) as well as selecting and overseeing the Superintendent of Schools.

Other boards and commissions

The city has an appointed library board of trustees which governs the city's library system and various other appointed governing and advisory boards and commissions.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 47,139 people, 21,050 households, and 11,510 families in East Providence. The population density was 3,548.6 per square mile (1,370.1/km). There were 22,196 housing units at an average density of 1,670.9 per square mile (645.1/km). The racial makeup was 77.38% (36,474)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(75.66%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 5.4% (2,547)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.42% (199) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 2.11% (996) Asian, 0.04% (17)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 4.83% (2,277) from other races, and 9.82% (4,629) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 7.06% (3,328) of the population. Of the 21,050 households, 23.0% had children under the age of 18; 39.0% were married couples living together; 33.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 35.5% of households consisted of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 3.1. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 25.3% of the population. 16.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 112.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 116.4 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $63,158 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,857) and the median family income was $88,973 (+/- $7,921). Males had a median income of $47,414 (+/- $3,540) versus $37,833 (+/- $2,442) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $42,543 (+/- $2,745). Approximately, 5.9% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 11.4% of those ages 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 48,688 people, 20,530 households, and 12,851 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,309 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.49%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 5.02%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.46% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.05%

, 2.80% from other races, and 4.03% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.89% of the population. There were 20,530 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,108, and the median income for a family was $48,463. Males had a median income of $34,342 versus $26,423 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $19,527. About 6.3% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the

, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those aged 65 or over.

Ancestry

The population has large immigrant communities from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, the Azores,

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

and

Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...

. Approximately 24% of East Providence residents report Portuguese ancestry, followed by Irish at 18%, and Italian with 11%.

Education

East Providence has 13 public and five non-public schools:

Public schools

Elementary

* Agnes B. "Hennessey" * Alice M. "Waddington" – built 1954 * Emma G. "Whiteknact" * James R.D. "Oldham" * Kent Heights * Myron J. "Francis" - built 1989 * Orlo Avenue School * Silver Spring

Middle schools

* Edward R. Martin Middle School – built 1977 * Riverside Middle School

High school

* Grove Ave. Educational Development Center * East Providence High School – built 2021 ** East Providence Career & Technical Center

Non-public elementary and junior-high schools

* St. Mary "Bayview" Academy * Sacred Heart School * St. Margaret School * Ocean State Montessori School * The Gordon School * Providence Country Day (P.C.D.). * The Wolf School

Non-public high schools

* St. Mary "Bayview" Academy * Providence Country Day (P.C.D.).

Music and Arts

* On September 2, 1977, The Beach Boys performed before an audience of 40,000 at

Narragansett Park Narragansett Park was an American race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Beginnings On May 18, 1934, Rhode Island voters approved a measure legalizing parimutuel betting by an almost 3 to 1 margin. The following day ...

in Pawtucket,

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, which remains the largest concert audience in Rhode Island history. The City of East Providence provided parking in the area next to Narragansett Park. On August 9, 2017, a commemoration ceremony produced by Al Gomes and Connie Watrous of Big Noise took place in East Providence with The Beach Boys, along with East Providence Mayor James Briden and Assistant Mayor Robert Britto, who gave The Beach Boys the coveted Key to the City. The street where the concert stage formerly stood at 510 Narragansett Park Drive in Pawtucket, RI was officially renamed to "Beach Boys Way".

Health and Medicine

Bradley Hospital, the nation's first psychiatric facility exclusively for children, was founded in 1931. It is a teaching hospital for the Warren Alpert Medical School of

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

National Register of Historic Places listings in East Providence

* Bicknell–Armington Lightning Splitter House * Boston and Providence Railroad Bridge * Bridgham Farm * Carpenter, Lakeside, and Springvale Cemeteries * Crescent Park Looff Carousel, (

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

) * Elm Tree Plat Historic District * Nathaniel Daggett House * James Dennis House * District 6 Schoolhouse * Little Neck Cemetery * Newman Cemetery * Newman Congregational Church * Oddfellows' Hall * Pomham Rocks Light * Rose Land Park Plat Historic District * Richmond Paper Company Mill Complex * Rumford Chemical Works and Mill House Historic District * Rumford Historic District * Squantum Association * St. Mary's Episcopal Church * Phillip Walker House * Whitcomb Farm * World War I Memorial

Media

Newspaper

Weekly

*The East Providence Post

Monthly

*The East Providence Reporter

Radio

AM

*1110/ WPMZ: Spanish-language “Poder”.

Notable people

* Arunah Shepherdson Abell (1806–1888), philanthropist and newspaper publisher ('' Philadelphia Public Ledger'' and ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

''); born in East Providence * Ben Sears, baseball pitcher drafted by the Kansas City Royals; attended East Providence High School * Rebecca DiPietro, model and WWE Diva; lives in East Providence * John Michael Greer, author and former Archdruid; lives in East Providence * Elisabeth Hasselbeck, TV personality on Fox & Friends and The View; attended and graduated from St. Mary Academy – Bay View in 1995 *

Jimmy Hatlo James Cecil Hatlo (September 1, 1897 – December 1, 1963), better known as Jimmy Hatlo, was an American cartoonist who in 1929 created the long-running comic strip and gag panel ''They'll Do It Every Time'', which he wrote and drew until his d ...

, cartoonist, was born in East Providence *

Claudia Jordan Claudia Angela Jordan (born April 12, 1973) is an American talk show host, actress, model, businesswoman, and reality television and radio personality. She is known for appearing as a model on the American version of '' Deal or No Deal'' and '' ...

, model and reality TV personality ('' Deal or No Deal, Celebrity Apprentice''); Miss Rhode Island USA (1997); grew up in East Providence * Jennifer Lee, co-writer of screenplay for Wreck-It Ralph; writer of screenplay for and co-director of Frozen; born in East Providence * Davey Lopes, second baseman and coach for several

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

teams; born in East Providence * Jamie Silva, football safety for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

; born in East Providence *

Meredith Vieira Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and Celebrity, television personality. She is best known as the original moderator of the daytime talk show ''The View (talk show), The View'' (1997–2006), the ...

, hostess of ''

Millionaire A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. Many national currencies have, or ...

'', co-host of ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...

'' and '' The View''; born in East Providence * Ron Wilson, hockey defenseman and coach for the US Olympic hockey team and several

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

teams; attended East Providence High School

References

External links

City of East Providence

East Providence School Department

East Providence Public Library

East Providence Historical Society

East Providence Arts Council

Births Index
from the Rhode Island State Archives
Guide to the East Providence Public Library Genealogical and Reference Materials
from the Rhode Island State Archives {{authority control 1862 establishments in Rhode Island Cape Verdean American history Cities in Providence County, Rhode Island Cities in Rhode Island Populated places established in 1862 Portuguese-American culture in Rhode Island Providence metropolitan area