Living in Johnston, RI
Suburb in Rhode Island
Johnston is a suburb in Rhode Island, home to about 30,000 people, with 1.3 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Johnston a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Easy flying: PVD is 9 mi away
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 81°F
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $1,669 state income tax per resident, 1.42% property tax
- Few dog parks: 7 within 9 mi
- Cloudier than most places
- Weaker public schools: test results below the US average
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Johnston ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Johnston: common questions
What is the cost of living in Johnston?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $470k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,090 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 102, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Johnston?
Rhode Island collects about $1,669 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.42% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Johnston safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Johnston?
Public schools in Johnston test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Johnston?
Johnston has cold winters: winter days average around 41°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 37″ of snow a year.
Does Johnston get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.21 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Johnston?
The nearest major airport is PVD, about 9 mi away.
How Johnston scores
Each bar compares Johnston with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Johnston
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Rhode Island.
Is Johnston right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.