2026 editionNortheastPop. 1,114,521Capital Providence13th state, admitted 1790Cook PVI D+15
Is Rhode Island a Good Place to Live? Rhode Island Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Rhode Island ranks #19 of 50 with a composite score of 62 and a B grade, strongest in safety (#3) and weakest in fiscal health (#45). The median household earns $83,504 (3% above the national median), homes typically cost $511,233 (39% above the national average), and violent crime is 144 per 100,000 (56% below the national average).
Families priced out of Greater Boston who still want a Boston paycheck fit Rhode Island: violent crime is 56% below the national average, health ranks #6 of 50, and Providence is inside the same job market. In exchange they inherit New England's weakest state finances, a pension 58% funded, and property tax at 1.39% to cover it.
Rhode Island by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Rhode Island's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Rhode Island overview
Rhode Island scores above the national average in 6 of 11 categories and ranks #6 of 11 states in the Northeast, behind 5 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is violent crime rate (144, 56% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is typical home value ($511,233, 39% above the national average). That mix of top-10 finishes (4) and bottom-10 finishes (2) is why the composite alone undersells the tradeoffs a mover here faces.
Where does Rhode Island rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Rhode Island is top 10 in 4 and bottom 10 in 2.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 41.4 | #35 of 50 | C | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4.5% and median household income is $83,504. |
| Safety | 90.8 | #3 of 50 | A+ | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 144.1 violent crimes and 910.5 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 76.5 | #6 of 50 | A | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 79.2 years, 31.1% of adults have obesity, and 4.6% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 53.5 | #33 of 50 | C+ | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 270 in NAEP math and 258 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 83.3%. |
| Affordability | 45.4 | #43 of 50 | D | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $511,233 (6.1x median income); cost of living index 102.3 (100 = US); center-based infant care $18,972 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 43.0 | #45 of 50 | D | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $5,240 of debt per resident, has 58% of pensions funded, and holds a AA credit rating. |
| Growth | 27.9 | #38 of 50 | C | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.37% last year; Census net domestic migration is -1.4 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 52.9 | #19 of 50 | B | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 26.3 minutes, 2.1% of workers use public transit, and 11.6% work from home. |
| Livability | 48.2 | #7 of 50 | A | 7% | 34.3 | It has 2.298 restaurants and 0.026 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.205 bars and 0.111 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 37.4 | #17 of 50 | B+ | 6% | 29.4 | 4.4% of its land is public, with 5.29 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 53.4 | #10 of 50 | A | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 35, 12% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 2.4. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Rhode Island's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Rhode Island bulges toward safety and dips at fiscal health.
How expensive is Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's cost of living index is 102.3 against a national baseline of 100, 2% above the national average and #37 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $511,233 (39% above the national average); buying it takes an income of about $139,686, $56,182 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Providence is cheapest (index 101.8) and Melville priciest (101.8).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #10 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #47 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $56,182 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Rhode Island housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Rhode Island | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$34,145 | −$11,758 | #42 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$23,466 | +$31,418 | #43 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$26,413 | +$35,970 | #42 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's tax mix is high property tax, with income and sales taxes in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 10.08% of income, 1.3 points above the national average (#43 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 1.39% of home value (#38), and combined sales tax averages 7% (#25).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 43 out of 100, #45 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Rhode Island safe?
Rhode Island reports 144 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 56% below the national average and #4 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 911 per 100,000, 41% below the national average (#3 of 50). The safety score is 90.8 out of 100, #3 of 50; among tracked cities, Westerly has the lowest violent crime rate.
Rhode Island vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Rhode Island
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westerly | 18,411 | 26 | 598 |
| East Providence | 47,281 | 74 | 686 |
| Warwick | 83,175 | 87 | 910 |
| Cranston | 83,250 | 89 | 890 |
| Newport | 24,874 | 194 | 1,330 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Rhode Island cities we track. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's unemployment rate is 4.5%, 0.5 points above the national average and #38 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $83,504, 3% above the national median. Real GDP grew +1.9% in the latest year (#26 of 50) and GDP per capita is $62,367, 3% below the national average. The population is growing 0.37% a year, 0.1 points below the national average. The economy score is 41.4 out of 100, #35 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Rhode Island, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $230,643 | $232,949 | Providence-Warwick |
| Lawyers | $150,708 | $152,215 | Providence-Warwick |
| Software Developers | $133,650 | $134,986 | Providence-Warwick |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $102,402 | $103,426 | Providence-Warwick |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,493 | $100,488 | Providence-Warwick |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Rhode Island's schools and healthcare?
Rhode Island's education score is 53.5 out of 100, #33 of 50. Eighth graders average 270 in NAEP math (#32 of 50) and 258 in reading (#23 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 83.3%, 2.3 points below the national average (#37 of 50).
Rhode Island is #6 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 79.2 years, 2.3 years above the national average. 31.1% of adults have obesity (#12 of 50) and 4.6% of residents have no health insurance (#5 of 50). The health score is 76.5 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Rhode Island, and who is leaving?
Rhode Island's flows are close to even: 17,997 households moved in and 18,126 moved out in the latest IRS release, a net of -129, or -0.1 per 1,000 residents (#29 of 50), too small to call a direction. Arriving households report an average income of $82,595 against $79,934 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +3.2K people (35.2K in, 32.0K out, ±7.2K), pointing the other way, so treat the direction as uncertain.
Where they come from
- 1Massachusetts6,510 · $87,849
- 2New York1,588 · $90,679
- 3Connecticut1,494 · $91,695
- 4Florida1,475 · $79,772
- 5California806 · $88,779
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where they go
- 1Massachusetts5,218 · $74,105
- 2Florida2,235 · $121,392
- 3Connecticut1,769 · $70,588
- 4New York1,322 · $72,065
- 5California754 · $85,143
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households left for these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Rhode Island?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Rhode Island cities we track are Westerly (70.6), Cumberland Hill (67.3), and Warwick (66.5). Providence is the cheapest (cost index 101.8), Cumberland Hill the richest ($130,506), and Warwick the fastest growing (+0.9% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Rhode Island cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Rhode Island
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Westerly | 26 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Providence | cost of living index 101.8 |
| Most walkable | Providence | walkability 15.6 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Warwick | median AQI 31 (county) |
| Best schools | Westerly | 87% graduation rate |
| Richest | Cumberland Hill | $130,506 |
Among the 20 Rhode Island cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Rhode Island
Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls and East Providence: the jobs, the colleges, the commuter rail and the highest crime and lowest graduation rates in the state, block by block.
The family belt: safe, mid-priced, near the airport and the highway, with Greenville, Hope Valley and Pascoag adding rural towns where houses cost less and commutes run longer.
Woonsocket, Cumberland and Lincoln along the old mill river: the cheapest homes in the state's north, a fast-growing city, and Massachusetts a few minutes away.
Newport, Middletown, Tiverton and the Navy: sailing money, summer crowds, coastal flood zones and a year-round population that watches the bridge tolls.
Narragansett, Wakefield, Kingston and Westerly: the beaches, the state university, the strongest schools outside the Providence suburbs, and second-home prices that rise every summer.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westerly | A+ | 70.6 | 18,411 | $95,207 | 26 | 101.8 |
| 2 | Cumberland Hill | A+ | 67.3 | 8,648 | $130,506 | — | 101.8 |
| 3 | Warwick | A | 66.5 | 83,175 | $88,708 | 87 | 101.8 |
| 4 | Cranston | A | 64.2 | 83,250 | $90,206 | 89 | 101.8 |
| 5 | Kingston | A | 64.1 | 7,332 | $107,404 | — | 101.8 |
| 6 | Tiverton | A | 64.0 | 8,091 | $99,158 | — | 101.8 |
| 7 | East Providence | A | 63.0 | 47,281 | $75,912 | 74 | 101.8 |
| 8 | Newport | B+ | 62.7 | 24,874 | $86,313 | 194 | 101.8 |
| 9 | Wakefield-Peace Dale | B+ | 62.5 | 9,302 | $106,551 | — | 101.8 |
| 10 | Pascoag | B+ | 59.7 | 4,410 | $121,369 | — | 101.8 |
| 11 | Greenville | B+ | 59.3 | 8,296 | $97,234 | — | 101.8 |
| 12 | Newport East | B | 58.7 | 11,069 | $89,028 | — | 101.8 |
| 13 | Melville | B | 58.2 | 1,631 | $102,266 | — | 101.8 |
| 14 | Valley Falls | B | 57.9 | 12,657 | $92,901 | — | 101.8 |
| 15 | Hope Valley | B | 57.5 | 2,297 | $101,932 | — | 101.8 |
| 16 | Pawtucket | B | 57.3 | 75,893 | $68,310 | 224 | 101.8 |
| 17 | Providence | B | 56.4 | 191,767 | $68,119 | 287 | 101.8 |
| 18 | Narragansett Pier | C+ | 53.6 | 3,167 | $82,192 | — | 101.8 |
| 19 | Woonsocket | C | 51.2 | 43,521 | $61,059 | 371 | 101.8 |
| 20 | Central Falls | C | 51.2 | 22,701 | $49,285 | 273 | 101.8 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Rhode Island cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Rhode Island for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westerly | 72.3 | 87.1 | 99.3 | 62.4 |
| 2 | Warwick | 71.5 | 79.7 | 94.7 | 65.2 |
| 3 | Cranston | 69.0 | 67.8 | 94.7 | 64.1 |
| 4 | East Providence | 68.4 | 68.6 | 97.2 | 65.6 |
| 5 | Newport | 65.9 | 62.1 | 84.9 | 44.4 |
Who is Rhode Island best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Rhode Island cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Rhode Island compare with its neighbors?
Rhode Island ranks #19. Among its bordering states, Massachusetts ranks highest (#13) and Connecticut lowest (#16). Connecticut is the most similar on the composite score and Massachusetts the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | #19 | 62.0 | $83,504 | $511,233 | 102.3 | 144 | 10.08% | |
| Massachusetts | #13 | 70.0 | $104,828 | $661,896 | 105.8 | 303 | 9.57% | Compare → |
| Connecticut | #16 | 66.9 | $96,049 | $450,873 | 103.6 | 110 | 9.9% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Rhode Island city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Rhode Island numbers say when read together.
Safety is Rhode Island's strongest suit
Rhode Island is a #19 state overall but #3 of 50 for safety, 16 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 90.8 against a national average of 68.9. Health (#6) is next. Safety carries 12% of the composite.
Fiscal Health is where Rhode Island falls furthest behind
Rhode Island ranks #45 of 50 for fiscal health, 26 places below its overall #19, with a score of 43 against a national average of 58.1. At 8% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Violent crime rate is 56% below the national average
Rhode Island's violent crime rate is 144, 56% below the national average of 328, #4 of 50 (1 = safest). The largest gap in the other direction is typical home value: $511,233, 39% above the national average. Source: FBI estimates, latest release.
Migration is a wash
Net -129 households on 36,123 moves is too small a margin to call a direction; Rhode Island ranks #29 of 50 on net flow per 1,000 residents. The households arriving report $2,661 more in average income than those leaving ($82,595 against $79,934), so the state is trading up on income even as the headcount shrinks. Massachusetts is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed harder here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $34,145 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#42 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $23,466 surplus; a retiree couple at a $26,413 surplus. Infant childcare runs $18,972 a year, 21% above the national average.
Every bordering state outranks Rhode Island
All 2 of Rhode Island's bordering states rank above its #19; the closest match on the composite is Connecticut. Median income among them runs from $96,049 in Connecticut to $104,828 in Massachusetts; Rhode Island is at $83,504.
Frequently asked questions about living in Rhode Island
Is Rhode Island a good place to live?
Rhode Island ranks #19 of 50 with a B grade, #6 of 11 in the Northeast. It is top 10 in safety, health, livability, and environment and bottom 10 in affordability and fiscal health. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 2 of 6 (income and violent crime) and trails on home prices, cost of living, unemployment, and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Rhode Island rank among US states?
Rhode Island ranks #19 of 50 overall with a composite score of 62 (grade B), and #6 of 11 states in the Northeast. Its best category rank is #3 (safety) and its worst #45 (fiscal health). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so B means rank 19–26.
Is it expensive to live in Rhode Island?
At #37 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Rhode Island is 2% above the national average: its index is 102.3 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $511,233 (39% above the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $139,686 against a median household income of $83,504. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $34,145 shortfall after all costs, #42 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Rhode Island have a state income tax?
Yes. Rhode Island's top state income tax rate is 5.99% (#32 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 10.08% of income, 1.3 points above the national average. Property tax is 1.39% of home value and combined sales tax 7%.
What is the crime rate in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island reports 144 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 56% below the national average and #4 of 50 (1 = safest), and 911 property crimes per 100,000, 41% below the national average (#3). Its safety score is 90.8 out of 100, #3 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Rhode Island have good schools?
Rhode Island is #33 of 50 for education (score 53.5 out of 100). Its public school students average 270 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#32) and 258 in eighth-grade reading (#23), and the high school graduation rate is 83.3%, 2.3 points below the national average (#37). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Westerly has the highest graduation rate at 87%.
Is Rhode Island gaining or losing people?
Neither, to any meaningful degree: Rhode Island netted -129 households in the latest IRS release on 17,997 arrivals and 18,126 departures, -0.1 per 1,000 residents (#29 of 50), a flow too small to call a direction. The largest source of arrivals is Massachusetts (6,510 households) and the most common destination is Massachusetts (5,218). Arriving households report an average income of $82,595 against $79,934 for those leaving, so movers in earn more than movers out. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Rhode Island a red or blue state?
Rhode Island is a solidly blue state: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is D+15, meaning it votes about 15 points more Democratic than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What are the downsides of living in Rhode Island?
The state's finances and the price of being near the water. Fiscal health ranks #45 of 50: pensions 58% funded, reserves at 5.5% of spending, debt $5,240 per resident, which keeps property tax at 1.39%. Homes cost 39% above the national average and rose +3.4% in a year. Electricity is 65% above the national average. Flood insurance follows the coastline. Residents shrug at all of it and stay.
Is Rhode Island a good place to retire?
#14 of 50, which is decent rather than glowing. In favor: violent crime 56% below the national average, life expectancy of 79.2 years, every hospital within an hour, beaches without a Florida flight. Against: a retiree couple on $75,000 comes out at a $26,413 surplus, $9,557 below the national median, mostly on housing and heating, and coastal property tax rises with the assessment. Owning here already is a good deal; buying in is not.
Does Rhode Island get hurricanes?
Yes, occasionally, and the bay makes them worse. FEMA's disaster risk index of 2.4 is second lowest because storms are rare, but when a hurricane tracks up Narragansett Bay the surge funnels into Providence, hence the hurricane barrier downtown. Nor'easters cause more routine flooding on the South County beaches. For a buyer the question is the flood zone on the lot, not the state average.
Is Rhode Island cheaper than Massachusetts?
On housing, clearly; on taxes, no. The typical Rhode Island home costs less, and the cost index of 102.3 sits 2% above the national average against a higher Massachusetts figure. But the total tax burden here is 10.08%, 1.3 points above the national average, and the property tax rate of 1.39% is higher than across the line. Earn in Massachusetts and you pay its income tax anyway. The saving is the house.
What should I know about Rhode Island's culture before moving?
It is a small state that behaves like a large town. People ask what high school you went to, not what college. A half-hour drive counts as far. Coffee milk and clam cakes are not jokes. The Portuguese, Italian, Irish and Cape Verdean communities are old and dense, and Newport in summer belongs to visitors. Residents are wary of newcomers for a decade, then loyal.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Rhode Island's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.