The City of Central Falls was formerly a part of the Town of Lincoln, and was incorporated as a city February 21, 1895. Central Falls, the smallest municipality in the state (1.3 square miles), is also one of the most densely populated cities in the country. This tiny city just west of Pawtucket, on the Blackstone River has a history of industrial development. Central Falls was at one time called Chocolate Mill, after the chocolate factory established there in 1790. Due to this inherent characteristic, Central Falls and Pawtucket are often alluded to as the "Twin Cities". Historically, it is best known as one of the areas where King Philip wreaked vengeance upon the white settlers, and a tablet at High and Aigan Streets marks the stop where Captain Michael Pierce, and a company of Plymouth soldiers were ambushed and almost annihilated by Indians, March 26, 1676. Central Falls has several large manufacturing plants, with its economy sustained primarily by a diversified manufacturing industry.
Government in Central Falls: Central Falls was Established in 1730, Incorporated in 1895 Central Falls Form of Government: City Council headed by a Mayor Central Falls Council Meetings: The second Monday monthly at 7:00 pm Central Falls Fiscal Year Begins: July 1
Central Falls City Hall 580 Broad Street Central Falls, Rhode Island 02863 FAX: 727-7410 Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (from Sept. 16) 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (from June 16)
Central Falls General Demographic Characteristics
Central Falls Population: The population count for The City of Central Falls as of April 1, 2005, was 18,928. This represented a 7.32% increase (1,291 persons) from the 1990 population of 17,637.
Central Falls Rank : In 2005 Central Falls ranks 19th in population among Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns.
Central Falls Median Age: In 2005 the median age of the population in Central Falls was 30.2.
Central Falls Age Distribution: In 2005, 70.8% or 13,397 persons residing in Central Falls were 18 years of age or older. 12,485 were 21 and over, 2,502 were 62 and over, and 2,177 were 65 and over.
Central Falls Population Density: The 2005 population density of Central Falls is 15,652 persons per square mile of land area. Central Falls contains 1.21 square miles of land area (3,132,076 Sq. meters) (773.96 acres) and 0.08 square miles of water area (211,996 square meters) (51.2 acres).
Central Falls Housing Units: The total number of housing units in the The City of Central Falls as of April 1, 2005, was 7,270. This represented a decrease of 67 units from the 7,337 housing units in 1990. Of the 7,270 housing units 574 were vacant. 6 of the vacant units were for seasonal of recreational use.
Central Falls Households: In 2005, there are 6,696 households in Central Falls with an average size of 2.74 persons. Of these, 4,356 were family households with an average family size of 3.38 persons.
Central Falls Race: >Central Falls Total Population of One Race: 17,532W >Central Falls White Population: 10,820 > Central Falls Black of African American: 1,101 > Central Falls American Indian and Alaska Native: 108 > Central Falls Asian Population: 128 > Central Falls Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander : 8 > Some Other Race in Central Falls: 5,367 >Central Falls Total Population of two or More Races: 1,396 >Central Falls Hispanic or Latino: In 2005, 9,041 persons of Hispanic origin resided in Central Falls. This represented 47.8% of the population. An increase of 3,922 or 76.6% from the 1980 Hispanic population of 5,119.
