Rhode Island

State

Add Comparison

2019 Population

1.06M

0.194% 1-year growth

US Senator

Jack Reed

Democratic Party

US Senator

Sheldon Whitehouse

Democratic Party

2019 Median Age

40.1

0.25% 1-year increase

2019 Poverty Rate

12.4%

5.48% 1-year decrease

2019 Median Household Income

$71,169

10.6% 1-year growth

2019 Median Property Value

$283,000

3.36% 1-year growth

2019 Employed Population

531,600

3.84% 1-year growth

About

In 2019, Rhode Island had a population of 1.06M people with a median age of 40.1 and a median household income of $71,169. Between 2018 and 2019 the population of Rhode Island grew from 1.06M to 1.06M, a 0.194% increase and its median household income grew from $64,340 to $71,169, a 10.6% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Rhode Island are White (Non-Hispanic) (70.8%), White (Hispanic) (7.89%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (5.78%), Other (Hispanic) (5.05%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (3.42%). 0% of the households in Rhode Island speak a non-English language at home as their primary language.

94% of the residents in Rhode Island are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rhode Island are University of Rhode Island (4,586 degrees awarded in 2019), Brown University (3,296 degrees), and Johnson & Wales University-Providence (2,496 degrees).

In 2019, the median property value in Rhode Island was $283,000, and the homeownership rate was 61.7%. Most people in Rhode Island drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Rhode Island was 2 cars per household.

Rhode Island borders Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.

About the photo: Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island

Photo by Eric Harrison

United States

Diversity

Rhode Island is home to a population of 1.06M people, from which 94% are citizens. As of 2019, 31.8% of Rhode Island residents were born outside of the country (336k people).

In 2019, there were 8.97 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (750k people) in Rhode Island than any other race or ethnicity. There were 83.6k White (Hispanic) and 61.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rhode Island

White (Non-Hispanic)
750k ± 2.16k
White (Hispanic)
83.6k ± 8.1k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
61.2k ± 3.28k

16.3%

Hispanic Population

173k people

16.3% of the people in Rhode Island are hispanic (173k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Rhode Island as a share of the total population.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

31.8%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

336k people

13.9%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

147k people

As of 2019, 31.8% of Rhode Island residents (336k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 34%. In 2018, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rhode Island was 13.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Rhode Island compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.6

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.7

In 2019, the median age of all people in Rhode Island was 40.1. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 39, were generally younger than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 46. But people in Rhode Island are getting getting older. In 2018, the average age of all Rhode Island residents was 40.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
34,487 ± 4,485 people
Guatemala
14,233 ± 2,909 people
Portugal
11,794 ± 2,651 people

In 2019, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Rhode Island was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 34,487 Rhode Island residents, followed by Guatemala with 14,233 and Portugal with 11,794.

Citizenship

94%

2019 Citizenship

94.8%

2018 Citizenship

As of 2019, 94% of Rhode Island residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2018, the percentage of US citizens in Rhode Island was 94.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Rhode Island compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
18,678 ± 1,742
Gulf War (2001-)
6,786 ± 1,242
Gulf War (1990s)
5,251 ± 1,090

Rhode Island has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.75 times greater than any other conflict.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Rhode Island, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Rhode Island.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Rhode Island (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Rhode Island.

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Rhode Island. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Rhode Island.

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Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Rhode Island.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Rhode Island across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Economy

Median household income in Rhode Island is $71,169. In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Rhode Island was Washington County, RI with a value of $90,003, followed by Newport County, RI and Kent County, RI, with respective values of $81,652 and $74,474.

Males in Rhode Island have an average income that is 1.22 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,319. The income inequality in Rhode Island (measured using the Gini index) is 0.448, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Rhode Island employs 532k people. The largest industries in Rhode Island are Restaurants & Food Services (37,274 people), Elementary & secondary schools (32,951 people), and Construction (25,659 people), and the highest paying industries are Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events, agents and managers for artists, athletes, entertainers, and other public figures ($170,162), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($125,767), and Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing ($121,923).

Wages

Median Household Income

$71,169

2019 value

± $1,559

10.6%

1 Year Growth

± 3.5%

Households in Rhode Island have a median annual income of $71,169, which is more than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $64,340 in 2018, which represents a 10.6% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Rhode Island compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$69,928

Average Male Salary in Rhode Island

± $3,477

$57,319

Average Female Salary in Rhode Island

± $2,704

In 2019, full-time male employees in Rhode Island made 1.22 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Rhode Island by number of full-time employees.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Rhode Island

Asian
$65,341 ± $11,751
White
$56,149 ± $2,170
American Indian
$48,125 ± $22,424

In 2019 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Rhode Island workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.16 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Rhode Island.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Rhode Island by number of full-time employees.

Wage Distribution

0.448

2019 Wage GINI in Rhode Island

0.446

2018 Wage GINI in Rhode Island

In 2019, the income inequality in Rhode Island was 0.448 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.34% growth from 2018 to 2019, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Rhode Island was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Rhode Island in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Rhode Island across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Rhode Island was Washington County, RI with a value of $90,003, followed by Newport County, RI and Kent County, RI, with respective values of $81,652 and $74,474.

The following map shows all of the counties in Rhode Island colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

12.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rhode Island (126k out of 1.02M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
82,118 ± 2,427
Hispanic
40,095 ± 1,643
Black
15,015 ± 1,122

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rhode Island is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

532k

2019 Value

3.84%

1 Year growth

± 3.84%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Rhode Island grew at a rate of 3.84%, from 512k employees to 532k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rhode Island, are Other managers (12,012 people), Registered nurses (11,724 people), and Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (11,653 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rhode Island.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Rhode Island, by number of employees, are Other managers (12,012 people), Registered nurses (11,724 people), and Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (11,653 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Rhode Island has an unusually high number of residents working as Jewelers & precious stone & metal workers (6.76 times higher than expected), Mental health and substance abuse social workers (6.63 times), and Landscape architects (6.52 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Rhode Island, by average salary, are Dentists ($256,452), Environmental engineers ($209,348), and Physicians ($189,974).

Industries

Employment by Industries

532k

2019 Value

3.84%

1 Year growth

± 3.84%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Rhode Island grew at a rate of 3.84%, from 512k employees to 532k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rhode Island, are Restaurants & Food Services (37,274 people), Elementary & secondary schools (32,951 people), and Construction (25,659 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rhode Island, though some of these residents may live in Rhode Island and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Most Common

The most common industries in Rhode Island, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (37,274 people), Elementary & secondary schools (32,951 people), and Construction (25,659 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Rhode Island has an unusually high number of Ship & boat building (7.22 times higher than expected), Fishing, hunting & trapping (4.91 times), and Fabric mills, except knitting mills (4.48 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Rhode Island, by average salary, are Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events, agents and managers for artists, athletes, entertainers, and other public figures ($170,162), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($125,767), and Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing ($121,923).

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Rhode Island to other states, or from other states to Rhode Island.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2018, the top outbound Rhode Island product (by dollars) was Gasoline with $15.3B, followed by Mixed freight ($8.02B) and Motorized vehicles ($7.25B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Rhode Island products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Rhode Island.

$59.5B

2018 Value in Rhode Island

$79.3B

Projected 2045 Value in Rhode Island

33.3% growth

In 2018, total outbound Rhode Island trade was $59.5B. This is expected to increase 33.3% to $79.3B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Rhode Island trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Rhode Island to other states, or from other states to Rhode Island.

Most Common Trade Partners

Massachusetts
$17.1B
Connecticut
$2.81B
New York
$2.2B

In 2018, the top outbound Rhode Island domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Massachusetts with $17.1B, followed by Connecticut with $2.81B and New York and $2.2B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Rhode Island shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Rhode Island went to Hillary Rodham Clinton with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.9%), followed by Gary Johnson (3.18%). The most partisan county was Providence County, RI with 57.5% of the vote going to Hillary Rodham Clinton running for the Democratic Party.

Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are the senators currently representing the state of Rhode Island. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Rhode Island is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

2016 Election Results

Hillary Rodham Clinton (54.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.9%)
Republican Party
Gary Johnson (3.18%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Rhode Island went to Hillary Rodham Clinton with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.9%), followed by Gary Johnson (3.18%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Rhode Island for each registered party from 1976 to 2016.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Showing data up to the 2016 election. Updated election results are currently being processed, and will be released in the coming months.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Popular Vote for Rhode Island

54.4% for the Democratic Party

Most Partisan Counties in Rhode Island

Providence County, RI
57.5% for Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democratic Party)
Bristol County, RI
57.3% for Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democratic Party)
Newport County, RI
55.7% for Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democratic Party)

In the 2016 presidential election, the most partisan county in Rhode Island was Providence County, RI with 57.5% of the vote going to Hillary Rodham Clinton running for the Democratic Party.

The following map shows the counties in Rhode Island colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from Rhode Island

Jack Reed

Senator from Rhode Island

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Sheldon Whitehouse

Senator from Rhode Island

Assumed office on January 3, 2007

Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are the senators currently representing Rhode Island.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Rhode Island over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives from Rhode Island

Rhode Island is currently represented by 2 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Rhode Island have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2019, universities in Rhode Island awarded 22,628 degrees. The student population of Rhode Island is skewed towards women, with 35,026 male students and 46,836 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rhode Island are White (13,762 and 65.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (2,335 and 11.1%), Unknown (1,739 and 8.24%), and Black or African American (1,410 and 6.68%).

The largest universities in Rhode Island by number of degrees awarded are University of Rhode Island (4,586 and 20.3%), Brown University (3,296 and 14.6%), and Johnson & Wales University-Providence (2,496 and 11%).

The most popular majors in Rhode Island are General Business Administration & Management (1,279 and 5.65%), General Studies (1,117 and 4.94%), and Registered Nursing (978 and 4.32%).

The median tuition costs in Rhode Island are $36,902 for private four year colleges, and $10,404 and $25,697 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
620 degree-majorss awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
571 degree-majorss awarded
Registered Nursing
651 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rhode Island was General Business Administration & Management with 620 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Rhode Island according to their major.

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Rhode Island
4,586 degrees awarded
Brown University
3,296 degrees awarded
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
2,496 degrees awarded

$10,404

Median In-State Public

$36,902

Median Private

In 2019, the Rhode Island institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Rhode Island with 4,586 degrees awarded.

Student Gender for Common Institutions

9,356

Degrees Awarded to Men

13,272

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2019, 9,356 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rhode Island, which is 0.705 times less than the 13,272 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Rhode Island by degrees awarded.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
13,762 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
2,335 degrees awarded
Unknown
1,739 degrees awarded

In 2019 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions in Rhode Island was White students. These 13,762 degrees mean that there were 5.89 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 2,335 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Rhode Island was $283,000 in 2019, which is 1.18 times larger than the national average of $240,500. Between 2018 and 2019 the median property value increased from $273,800 to $283,000, a 3.36% increase. The homeownership rate in Rhode Island is 61.7%, which is lower than the national average of 64.1%. People in Rhode Island have an average commute time of 24.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rhode Island is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$283,000

2019 Median

± $3,445

$273,800

2018 Median

± $4,578

In 2019, the median property value in Rhode Island grew to to $283,000 from the previous year's value of $273,800.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Rhode Island compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Rhode Island the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$71,169

Median Household Income

± $1,559

407k

Number of Households

± 11,016

In 2019, the median household income of the 407k households in Rhode Island grew to $71,169 from the previous year's value of $64,340.

The following chart displays the households in Rhode Island distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Rhode Island distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Rhode Island the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

Rent vs Own

61.7%

2019 Homeownership

61.8%

2018 Homeownership

In 2019, 61.7% of the housing units in Rhode Island were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61.8%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 64.1%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Rhode Island compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

24.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rhode Island have a shorter commute time (24.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26 minutes). Additionally, 2.42% of the workforce in Rhode Island have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rhode Island compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2019

Drove Alone (79.6%)
Carpooled (8.18%)
Worked At Home (4.51%)

In 2019, 79.6% of workers in Rhode Island drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.18%) and those who worked at home (4.51%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Rhode Island distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rhode Island have 2 cars, followed by false.

Health

95.9% of the population of Rhode Island has health coverage, with 52.2% on employee plans, 16.2% on Medicaid, 12.3% on Medicare, 14.1% on non-group plans, and 1.15% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Rhode Island was $9,551 in 2014. This is a 4.27% increase from the previous year ($9,160).

Primary care physicians in Rhode Island see 1006 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.24% decrease from the previous year (1029 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1522 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 236 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Kent County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (11%). Additionally, Kent County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (30.4%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,006 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rhode Island

Primary care physicians in Rhode Island see an average of 1,006 patients per year. This represents a 2.24% decrease from the previous year (1,029 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Rhode Island in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
New Hampshire
7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
Louisiana
17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Rhode Island.

$9,551

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in Rhode Island

$4,620

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$10,934

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$10,901

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Rhode Island (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.27%, from $9,160 to $9,551.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

Health Care Coverage

4.09%

Uninsured

52.2%

Employer Coverage

16.2%

Medicaid

12.3%

Medicare

14.1%

Non-Group

1.15%

Military or VA

Between 2018 and 2019, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rhode Island grew by 0.327% from 4.08% to 4.09%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rhode Island changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.