Rhode Island

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Population

1.06M

0.304% growth

Median Age

39.5


Median Household Income

$63,870

5.4% growth

Poverty Rate

13.4%


Number of Employees

513,393

2.89% growth

Median Property Value

$257,800

4.08% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Rhode Island had a population of 1.06M people with a median age of 39.5 and a median household income of $63,870. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Rhode Island grew from 1.06M to 1.06M, a 0.304% increase and its median household income grew from $60,596 to $63,870, a 5.4% increase.

The population of Rhode Island is 72.1% White Alone, 15.4% Hispanic or Latino, and 5.4% Black or African American Alone. 22.9% of the people in Rhode Island speak a non-English language, and 93.6% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rhode Island are University of Rhode Island (4,193 degrees awarded in 2016), Johnson & Wales University-Providence (2,960 degrees), and Brown University (2,879 degrees).

The median property value in Rhode Island is $257,800, and the homeownership rate is 60.8%. Most people in Rhode Island commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 23.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Rhode Island is 2 cars per household.

Rhode Island borders New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

About the photo: Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island

Photo by Eric Harrison

United States

Economy

The economy of Rhode Island employs 513k people. The largest industries in Rhode Island are Restaurants & Food Services (36,286 people), Elementary & secondary schools (32,916 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (26,720 people), and the highest paying industries are Navigational, measuring, electromedical, & control instruments manufacturing ($142,913), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($131,381), and Nondepository credit & related activities ($130,642).

Median household income in Rhode Island is $63,870. Males in Rhode Island have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $54,733. The income inequality in Rhode Island (measured using the Gini index) is 0.462, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$63,870

2017 value

± $1,861

5.4%

1 Year Growth

± 3.72%

Households in Rhode Island have a median annual income of $63,870, which is more than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $60,596 in 2016, which represents a 5.4% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Rhode Island compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$70,387

Average Male Salary

± $3,644

$54,733

Average Female Salary

± $2,811

In 2017, full-time male employees in Rhode Island made 1.29 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.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. American Indian

    $78,313 ± $83,809

  2. Asian

    $65,306 ± $15,839

  3. White

    $55,262 ± $2,206

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Rhode Island workers was American Indian. These workers were paid 1.2 times more than Asian workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

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.

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Wage Distribution

0.462

2017 Wage GINI

0.452

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Rhode Island was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.19% growth from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2017 the GINI for Rhode Island was lower than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Newport County, RI

  2. Washington County, RI

  3. Kent County, RI

In 2017, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Rhode Island was Newport County, RI with a value of $80,222, followed by Washington County, RI and Kent County, RI, with respective values of $79,374 and $75,143.

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

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

13.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rhode Island (136k out of 1.02M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.4%. 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.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    89,596 ± 2,355

  2. Hispanic

    43,392 ± 1,505

  3. Other

    16,821 ± 1,009

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

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.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

513k

2017 Value

2.89%

1 Year growth

± 2.89%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Rhode Island grew at a rate of 2.89%, from 499k employees to 513k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rhode Island, are Secretaries & administrative assistants (13,858 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (13,542 people), and Registered nurses (13,530 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rhode Island.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Rhode Island, by number of employees, are Secretaries & administrative assistants (13,858 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (13,542 people), and Registered nurses (13,530 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Rhode Island has an unusually high number of residents working as Marine engineers & naval architects (21.7 times higher than expected), Transportation attendants, except flight attendants (8.86 times), and Occupational therapy assistants & aides (3.95 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Rhode Island, by average salary, are Physicians & surgeons ($270,316), Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents ($169,436), and Chief executives & legislators ($141,668).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

513k

2017 Value

2.89%

1 Year growth

± 2.89%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Rhode Island grew at a rate of 2.89%, from 499k employees to 513k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rhode Island, are Restaurants & Food Services (36,286 people), Elementary & secondary schools (32,916 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (26,720 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.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Rhode Island, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (36,286 people), Elementary & secondary schools (32,916 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (26,720 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Rhode Island has an unusually high number of Ship & boat building (8.63 times higher than expected), Sporting & athletic goods, & doll, toy & game manufacturing (8.34 times), and U. S Coast Guard (6.59 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Rhode Island, by average salary, are Navigational, measuring, electromedical, & control instruments manufacturing ($142,913), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($131,381), and Nondepository credit & related activities ($130,642).

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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

  1. Gasoline

    $13.4B

  2. Mixed freight

    $6.99B

  3. Fuel oils

    $4.5B

In 2015, the top outbound Rhode Island product (by dollars) was Gasoline with $13.4B, followed by Mixed freight ($6.99B) and Fuel oils ($4.5B).

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

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Domestic Trade Growth

$48.1B

2015 Value

$56.6B

Projected 2045 Value

17.7% growth

In 2015, total outbound Rhode Island trade was $48.1B. This is expected to increase 17.7% to $56.6B by 2045.

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

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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

  1. Massachusetts

    $14.9B

  2. Connecticut

    $2.86B

  3. New York

    $1.45B

In 2015, the top outbound Rhode Island domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Massachusetts with $14.9B, followed by Connecticut with $2.86B and New York and $1.45B.

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

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Health

95.4% of the population of Rhode Island has health coverage, with 49.5% on employee plans, 19.8% on Medicaid, 11.5% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.27% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of 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 1044 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.385% increase from the previous year (1040 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1581 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 270 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Providence County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (9.7%). Additionally, Kent County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (29.2%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,044 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Rhode Island see an average of 1,044 patients per year. This represents a 0.385% increase from the previous year (1,040 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 neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. 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.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. 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.

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Health Care Spending

$9,551

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$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.

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Health Care Coverage

4.62%

Uninsured

49.5%

Employer Coverage

19.8%

Medicaid

11.5%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

1.27%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rhode Island grew by 6.77% from 4.32% to 4.62%.

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.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Providence County

    9.7% prevalence

  2. Kent County

    9.4% prevalence

  3. Bristol County

    8.7% prevalence

Providence County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Rhode Island, at 9.7%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Rhode Island by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Rhode Island is home to a population of 1.06M people, from which 93.6% are citizens. As of 2017, 13.8% of Rhode Island residents were born outside of the country (147k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Rhode Island is composed of 764k White Alone residents (72.1%), 163k Hispanic or Latino residents (15.4%), 57.2k Black or African American Alone residents (5.4%), 37.8k Asian Alone residents (3.57%), 25.9k Two or More Races residents (2.44%), 7.54k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.711%), 3.13k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.296%), and 1.09k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.102%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Rhode Island are Spanish (123,565 speakers), Portuguese (28,538 speakers), and Haitian (10,381 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

38

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.5

45

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1

In 2017, the median age of all people in Rhode Island was 39.5. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 38, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 45. But people in Rhode Island are getting getting younger. In 2016, the average age of all Rhode Island residents was 40.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

13.8%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

147k people

13.7%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

145k people

As of 2017, 13.8% of Rhode Island residents (147k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rhode Island was 13.7%, 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.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Dominican Republic

    23,659 ± 3,734 people

  2. Guatemala

    17,340 ± 3,206 people

  3. Portugal

    10,757 ± 2,533 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Rhode Island was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 23,659 Rhode Island residents, followed by Guatemala with 17,340 and Portugal with 10,757.

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Citizenship

93.6%

2017 Citizenship

93.7%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 93.6% of Rhode Island residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Rhode Island was 93.7%, 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.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    764k ± 1.64k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    163k ± 10.7k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    57.2k ± 4.33k

In 2017, there were 4.68 times more White Alone residents (764k people) in Rhode Island than any other race or ethnicity. There were 163k Hispanic or Latino and 57.2k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Rhode Island as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    123,565 speakers (12.3%)

  2. Portuguese

    28,538 speakers (2.84%)

  3. Haitian

    10,381 speakers (1.03%)

22.9% of Rhode Island citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is higher than the national average of 21.8%. In 2017, the most common non-English language spoken in Rhode Island was Spanish. 12.3% of the overall population of Rhode Island are native Spanish speakers. 2.84% speak Portuguese and 1.03% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    18,439 ± 1,789

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    8,580 ± 1,778

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    6,606 ± 1,365

Rhode Island has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.15 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Rhode Island awarded 21,315 degrees. The student population of Rhode Island is skewed towards women, with 36,302 male students and 49,003 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rhode Island are White (13,528 and 68.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (1,902 and 9.61%), Unknown (1,652 and 8.35%), and Black or African American (1,242 and 6.28%).

The largest universities in Rhode Island by number of degrees awarded are University of Rhode Island (4,193 and 19.7%), Johnson & Wales University-Providence (2,960 and 13.9%), and Brown University (2,879 and 13.5%).

The most popular majors in Rhode Island are General Business Administration & Management (1,178 and 5.53%), Registered Nursing (868 and 4.07%), and General Studies (782 and 3.67%).

The median tuition costs in Rhode Island are $37,270 for private four year colleges, and $9,123 and $22,949 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Psychology

    613 degrees awarded

  2. General Business Administration & Management

    601 degrees awarded

  3. Registered Nursing

    513 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rhode Island was General Psychology with 613 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Rhode Island

    4,193 degrees awarded

  2. Johnson & Wales University-Providence

    2,960 degrees awarded

  3. Brown University

    2,879 degrees awarded

$9,123

Median In-State Public

$37,270

Median Private

In 2016, the Rhode Island institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Rhode Island with 4,193 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

8,970

Degrees Awarded to Men

12,345

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 8,970 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rhode Island, which is 0.727 times less than the 12,345 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.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    13,528 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    1,902 degrees awarded

  3. Unknown

    1,652 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Rhode Island were to White students. These 13,528 degrees mean that there were 7.11 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,902 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Rhode Island was $257,800 in 2017, which is 1.18 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $247,700 to $257,800, a 4.08% increase. The homeownership rate in Rhode Island is 60.8%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Rhode Island have an average commute time of 23.9 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Rhode Island is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

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

$63,870

Median Household Income

± $1,861

409k

Number of Households

± 10,131

In 2017, the median household income of the 409k households in Rhode Island grew to $63,870 from the previous year's value of $60,596.

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.

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Housing

Property Value

$257,800

2017 Median

± $5,409

$247,700

2016 Median

± $3,609

In 2017, the median property value in Rhode Island grew to to $257,800 from the previous year's value of $247,700.

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 $200k - $250k range.

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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.

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Rent vs Own

60.8%

2017 Homeownership

58%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 60.8% of the housing units in Rhode Island were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Rhode Island compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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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 1 car.

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Commute Time

23.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rhode Island have a shorter commute time (23.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 2.36% 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.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    79.4%

  2. Carpooled

    9.44%

  3. Worked At Home

    4.53%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Rhode Island was Drove Alone (79.4%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.44%) and those who Worked At Home (4.53%).

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.

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