Housing in Charles at a glance
- Population
- 7,112
- Housing units
- about 3,113
- Median value, owner-occupied homes
- $295,000Providence: $362,200 (-19%)
- Median gross rent
- $950 a monthProvidence: $1,408 (-33%)
- Owner-occupied homes
- 39.2%Providence: 41.4%
- Homes built before 1980
- 79.8%
- Median year built
- 1942
Charles, north of Providence's population centre, is a low-rent sector. Its $950 rent is 33% under the whole city's $1,408 and ranks ninth of ten. Values are modest too, $295,000 being 19% under $362,200. Renters outnumber owners, who account for 39.2% of households against Providence's 41.4%, and the count is 1,695 renting households to 1,091 owning ones. The housing is old, with 79.8% of homes pre-dating 1980 and a middle year of 1942. Wanskuck, next door, is lower on value, $277,000, while Elmhurst comes in higher, $331,000, and College Hill far higher, $943,000. Elmhurst's rent of $1,740 is also far above Charles's. Charles counts 7,154 residents and 3,113 homes. College Hill has 45.2% owners and Elmhurst 57.9%, so Charles trails both on tenure, and Wanskuck's 37.8% is the only lower share nearby.
Questions about Charles
What is the median home value in Charles, Providence?
$295,000 for owner-occupied homes, against $362,200 for Providence as a whole (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary). It is the owners' own estimate of their home's value, not a sale price.
What is the median rent in Charles?
$950 a month in gross rent (rent plus utilities paid by the renter), against $1,408 in Providence (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Do most people in Charles own or rent?
Most rent: 39.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, against 41.4% in Providence (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Data and method
Data as of: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (retrieved 2026-11-02).
Estimate from the 1 census tracts whose internal point lies within the official boundary: counts are summed, and each median is recomputed from the summed value, rent and year-built brackets (grouped median, linear interpolation). The gap with the city is measured with the same method on the whole city. Boundaries used: City of Providence GIS, Neighborhoods (consulted 2026-11-02).
Charles is one of the 10 most populous neighborhoods (of 25 neighborhoods) of Providence: population 7,112 (Providence_Neighborhoods_Basic_Demographics (City of Providence PVDGIS, Neighborhood Snapshots platform; field TOTPOP_CY, 2019 total population)).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B01003, B25001, B25003, B25034, B25063, B25064, B25075, B25077; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer files (census tract internal points). City figures: the same survey, published for Providence as a whole. Home values are owners' estimates, not sale prices.
Near Charles
The closest sectors of Providence, by distance between population centres.
Other sectors of Providence
All of Providence · Professionals in Rhode Island · All states
Five trades, one spot each
Payotte lists one professional per trade in Charles. No one is listed yet: every spot is open.
- Real estate agentOpen spot
- Mortgage loan officerOpen spot
- Home inspectorOpen spot
- Real estate attorneyOpen spot
- AppraiserOpen spot
Work in one of these trades in Charles? Ask for your spot.