Providence+Community+Report

=__**Providence, Rhode Island**__=

Introduction
One of the most famous parts of the state of Rhode Island is the city of Providence. This city is the capital of the state, and is the most populated city in all of Rhode Island. It was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, who was a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and is actually one of the very first cities established in the United States. Providence, RI is estimated to be the second or third largest city in all of New England, and the 36th largest metropolitan population in the entire country. The city is situated at the head of Narragansett Bay, and the mouth of the Providence River. The city of Providence is home to eight hospitals and seven institutions of higher learning, which has shifted the city's economy into service industries, though it still retains significant manufacturing activity.

The purpose of this report is to analyze the community of Providence. This analysis portrays both the positive and negative aspects of the community. The various indicators explored below give a concise overview of the Providence community. We began this process by dividing the city by its pre-existing boundaries, which helped us to narrow the focus of our research on specific communities within Providence. By understanding the differences and similarities between these communities and how they interact, we can begin to recognize how this impacts the overall community. This research was based primarily on the statistical analysis of data found on the U.S. Census and RI Kids Count.

Environment and Geography
Providence, the capital city of the state of Rhode Island, is located in the northeast part of the State of Rhode Island, just below the city of Pawtucket. It is bordered by North Providence to the North, East Providence to the East, and Cranston to the South, and sits at the head of the Narragansett Bay. Located within Providence County, this city encloses a total of 20.5 square miles, with 10% of that area being water. Providence is intersected by two rivers, the Moshassuck and the Woonasqautucket. The Moshassuck runs Southeast from North Providence until it merges with the Woonasqautucket (which runs South from Pawtucket along the west side of Northern Providence) in the heart of downtown Providence to form the Providence River (which leads down to Narragansett Bay).

Within the city of Providence there are seven different zip codes, ranging from 02903 to 02909. As shown by the map, two zip codes are shared with other cities (02904 with North Providence and 02905 with Cranston). The zip code 02903 is in the center of Providence, and it is bounded by every other zip code of the city as well as Narragansett Bay. I-95 runs straight through Providence, entering at the 02907 zip code and then crossing through 02905, 02903, 02908 (briefly), and finally 02904 before exiting to Pawtucket.

Providence is not only the largest city in Rhode Island, but it is also very densely populated. This city has a large population of 173,618, in 62,389 housing units. It occupies an area of 18 mi.² with a population density of 9400 people per square mile, making it an overwhelmingly urban district. When compared to the average of 1003.2 people per square mile in Rhode Island we can see just how densely populated Providence is. In addition to this, Providence contains over 16.42% of Rhode Island's population, while only taking up 1.72% of the land.



Red line = City Boundary

Income and Poverty
Providence as a whole has lower income levels and higher levels of poverty than the state of Rhode Island as a whole. The average median household income in this city is $26,867, much lower than the state average of $42,090. The median family income also follows this trend, and is only $33,960 in Providence and $ 52,781 in Rhode Island. The lower incomes in Providence correspond to the poverty levels that are seen throughout the city. About 24% of families in Providence live below the poverty line, which is significantly greater than the 8.9 % of families who face poverty in the rest of the state. 29.1% of individuals in Providence experience poverty, which is more than double the 11.9 % of individuals in the rest of the state who are below the poverty line. The level of education of the population has had a great impact on the income and poverty levels of the community. Only 65.8% of adults in Providence have a high school diploma, compared to 78% of Rhode Island adults with this distinction. A lower level of education makes it more difficult for an individual to get a job with high wages, and the Providence community has suffered because of this.

Providence is the largest city in Rhode Island, and the communities that make up the city differ in the levels of poverty that they face. The center of Providence is an urban area that faces high levels of poverty. The median household income in this area is only $24,063 which is $10,000 less than in the rest of Providence and $25,000 less than the state average. This area also has higher levels of poverty faced by families and individuals. 22.5% of families and 43.5% of individuals in this area of Providence are affected by poverty. These numbers are much higher than state averages as well as Providence city averages, where 8.9% of families and 29.1% of individuals are affected by poverty.

The area of Providence that includes College Hill and Brown University is the most affluent area in Providence. The median family income in this area is $80,983, which is considerably higher than in the rest of the city where the median family income is $32,058, and also surpasses the state average by $10,000 as well as the national averages by $20,000. The amount of poverty in this area is also significantly lower than in Providence as a whole. Individuals below poverty in this area make up 18.2% of the population, compared to the citywide percentage of 29.1%. This area includes a lot of amenities for a college town which improves the surroundings and the community.

The areas west of College Hill and Brown University also have lower levels of poverty than the rest of the city. However, they are still above the state level, and the numbers are still very high. The median household incomes are also well above city averages, but are still low when compared to the rest of the state. The median family incomes range between $35,000 and $45,000 The average family income in the rest of Providence is $32,058, and is approximately $52,781 in the rest of the state.

The southern part of Providence that is closest to Cranston is highly affected by poverty. The income levels in this area are consistently half of what the averages are for the rest of the state. The poverty levels are the highest here than they are in the rest of the city, 10% higher than those in the rest of Providence. It is also higher than in the rest of the state. The population of individuals who suffer from poverty is 32.6%, compared to the 11.9% of individuals in Providence and 12.4% of Rhode Island that suffer from poverty.

With such a large city, it is difficult to make a conclusion of the overall economic well-being. The heart of Providence, as well as the southern part of the city, are the most affected by poverty. The area of Providence that includes College Hill and Brown University is the most affluent area of Providence, and the communities west of this area are less impoverished than the remainder of the city. The income and poverty levels in this city vary based on the location of the community, where some communities are affluent where as others are extremely impoverished.

Health and Safety
Providence is a very large urban area with a diverse population, both economically and racially, and with that comes a wide variety of health problems and safety issues. Looking at the various indicators of the health level in Providence, it does not appear to be a very healthy community. In Providence, the number of children who have elevated levels of lead in their blood has been steadily decreasing over the past four years from 13.2% to 6%. However, that is still double the state average of 3.5% in 2009. This statistic, while positive in itself, is probably results of multiple pulse survivors coming into effect to limit lead poisoning and may not be a sign that health in Providence is improving. In Providence, 31,756 children under the age of 19 are receiving medical assistance, whereas in Rhode Island there are 93,691 children receiving assistance. That is a difference of over 60,000 children. This shows that there is a significant issue with regards to health care for children in the city of Providence. This will directly impact the community by reducing days children are in school, increasing the cost of families who are already economically challenged, and putting further strain on family life.

In Providence, almost 47 out of every 1,000 girls between the ages 15 and 17 has given birth. This is significantly higher than Rhode Island's total of only 19 girls per 1,000 who have had a teen birth. This suggests a lack of education, or a variety of other factors, but it's implications on the community are immense. First and foremost, it takes girls out of school, it produces a family where the other has a limited degree of education, and it increases the burden on the family. Also, 20.5% of pregnant women are getting delayed prenatal care, which is again much higher than Rhode Island's 14%. This number might seem positive, but is outweighed by the immense infant mortality rate for Providence as compared to Rhode Island. The infant mortality rate is Providence is 9.3 of every 1,000 births, whereas Rhode Island has a 6.2 infant mortality rate. 9.4% of the infants born in Providence have a low birth weight, and this number is almost 2% higher than it is in the rest of Rhode Island. This indicates that in spite of the prenatal care given to 20% of the women in Providence there is still a high mortality rate and issues of low birth weight, which could be caused by premature birth, poor prenatal care, or variety of other complications to a pregnancy that could perhaps be avoided. This impacts the community by putting increased strain on the health care system, which in turn puts increased strain on the families who experience such tragedies. Overall health in Providence as compared to the rest of the state of Rhode Island is sub-par, which could perhaps be explained by the very high levels of low income people, and people living below the poverty line.

91,144 ||= 33,391   90,731 ||||=  32,074   88,641 ||=  29,440   84,717 ||||=  30,694   89,746 || 7.4% ||=  11.4%   6.4% ||||=  8.6%   4.6% ||=  8.3%   4.5% ||||=  6.0%   3.5% || 9.1% ||=  12.0%   9.4% ||||=  14.9%   10.7% ||=  17.4%   12.1% ||||=  20.5%   14.0% || 7.8% ||=  9.4%   8.0% ||||=  9.5%   8.1% ||=  9.5%   8.1% ||||=  9.4%   8.0% || 6.4 ||=  8.9   6.4 ||||=  9.2   6.2 ||=  8.9   6.3 ||||=  9.3   6.2 || 3.6 ||=  6.3   3.9 ||||=  6.5   4.0 ||=  6.6   4.0 ||||=  6.4   4.0 || 20.0 ||=  48.1   19.5 ||||=  47.1   9.1 ||=  47.9   19.1 ||||=  46.7   18.9 || 57% ||=  50%   57% ||||=  49%   57% ||=  49%   57% ||||=  49%   57% ||
 * < ===Health=== ||
 * <  ||=   ||<   ||= **2005** ||=   ||= **2006** ||= **2007** ||=   ||= **2008** ||=   ||= **2009** ||
 * < **Number of children under age 19 receiving Medical Assistance** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 33,948
 * < **Children with elevated blood lead levels (% screened positive)** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 13.2%
 * <  ||=   ||<   ||= **2000-2004** ||=   ||= **2001-2005** ||= **2002-2006** ||=   ||= **2003-2007** ||=   ||= **2004-2008** ||
 * < **Women with delayed prenatal care (%)** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 11.7%
 * < **Infants born low birthweight (%)** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 9.1%
 * < **Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births)** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 8.7
 * < **Asthma hospitalization rate (per 1,children)** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 6.1
 * < **Teen birth rate (per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17)** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 49.5
 * < **Newborn infants exclusively breastfed (%)** ||< ** Providence **
 * Rhode Island** ||||= 50%
 * Figure 1**: Health Survey (Source: Kids Count)

Crime and Safety Indicators
Crime is another factor that influences health and safety in Providence. The crime rate in this city has been declining, but it is still high. This is demonstrated by Figure 2 source ProvPlan (which is a nonprofit organization that works with local, state and the federal government). These results show that although Providence still has a great deal of crime, it has made a great deal of progress in reducing crime within the city. This is especially true for violent crime, which experienced a drop of 39% in murder, 60% in rape and 17% in aggravated assault. All these are positive indicators for the state of Providence as a whole.


 * Figure 2**: Change in Crime in Providence, RI. [ProvPlan] **Figure 3**: Violent Crime Trends[ ProvPlan]

The safety of children in Providence is jeopardized when in Providence. The child abuse and neglect rate per 1,000 children within this community is 18.4%, an astounding 4.4% higher than that of the state's. Also, the rate of incarcerated parents in Providence in nearly twice as high as the state's 10.9% at 23%. The domestic violence incidents with children in the city are also 5% high than Rhode Island's at 33%. It is clear that the children in Providence are experiencing a more tumultuous home life in general than that of the rest of the state due to these indications.

Family Life
The children in Providence make up a bigger percentage of the population than they do in the rest of the state of Rhode Island. Providence has 45,277 children, which makes up 19% of the total population. The state of Rhode Island has a total of 247,822 children, which makes up only 10% of its entire population. 49% of the children in Providence live in two-parent families, which is a very low percentage when compared to the state's total of 70% of children living in two-parent homes. The remaining 51% of children living in Providence come from single-parent families, which is much higher than the 30% of children living in single-parent families in the remainder of the state. These children are unfortunately more likely to have low academic achievement and are more likely to face poverty as adults. Grandparents can provide support and create family stability for children who have trouble at home, and only 3% of children in Providence live in homes in which their grandparents are financially responsible for them. This is lower than in the state as a whole, where 4% of children have grandparents financially responsible for them. The level of education that parents acquire can greatly affect family life. In Providence, 30% of mothers have less than a high school diploma, and only 21% have a bachelor's degree or above. This compares poorly to the rest of the state, in which only 16% of mothers have less than a high school diploma and 36% have a bachelor's degree of higher. The percentage of teens in this area who were not in school and not working is up to 9.9% in the Providence area. Also of note is the high percentage of households in Providence that speak a language other than English at home. In the southernmost region in particular, 38.5% of the population speaks another language at home, and 18.3% of the population speaks English less than "very well". This is rather high compared to the state averages, with 20.4% of the population speaking in a foreign language at home, and only 8.7% speaking English less than "very well". Also, 25.1% of the population in this region is foreign born, compared to a mere 12.5% statewide. While this is part of what makes Providence such a diverse, culturally rich place, the high percentage of people who have difficulty speaking English is concerning, as it makes getting a high-wage job virtually impossible.

The standard of living in the North Eastern portion of Providence is on the fair to medium side, being in a good part of town with a high cost of living compared to most places in Providence. The total population of Providence, 02906, is 30,649 people being 47.6% male and 52.4% female. The typical family size is small, being only 2.82, less than the 3.14 for the country which means more money allowed per person in the family and typically a better life. 64.6% of people 16 and older are in the workforce, which is very close to the national average of 63.9%. 19.9% of people speak a language other than English at home. This is more than national average of 17.9%, which can be tough to deal with in a primarily English country. Lastly 3,889, or 13.4% of people are considered disabled which can be a large problem in such an urban area, but is considerably less than the US average of 19.3%.

In Providence, there is a direct correlation between poverty and family stability. All areas of Providence contain children living below the poverty line and children in single-parent households. These situations are more prevalent in the less affluent sections of Providence that have higher levels of poverty.

=Providence District Demographics At A Glance=


 * Figure 4:** Providence City Demographics (US Census 2004)

=Conclusion= The purpose of this report is to give an overview of the community within the city of Providence. It focused on Environment and Geography, Income and Poverty, Health and Safety, Crime, Family Life, and various Demographics. From this report, the reader can learn all about the city of Providence. This city is not only the capital of the state, but seems to function as the heart of it as well, being the leader in population as well and culture and industry. It's location is spread throughout 18.5 square miles, and is located near two major water ways in the state. The city of Providence also has lower income levels and higher levels of poverty than the state of Rhode Island as a whole. This lack of income and high level of poverty leads to poor health and living conditions, making Providence one of the least healthy cities in the state. Over the years, the crime in Providence has been slowly decreasing, which is always positive, but the numbers are still higher than the state average and higher than what they should be overall. When it comes to family life, Providence has a quite large and diverse culture, filled with plenty of children and inhabitants who either don't speak English altogether, or use it as a secondary language. Overall, Providence is a diverse area that brings together people from all walks of life, and all different levels of Health, Poverty, Crime, and Income.