Cost of Living in Rhode Island
What it costs to live in Rhode Island, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 1,112,308
- Median household income
- $83,504
- State income tax
- Up to 6%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 102.3
What a typical paycheck keeps in Rhode Island
The typical Rhode Island worker earns $56,780 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $8,096 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $56,780
- Federal income tax
- −$4,634
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,968
- State income tax
- −$1,512
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$18,336
- Everyday costs
- −$19,234
a year, or $675 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Rhode Island.
Cost of living in Rhode Island
Prices across Rhode Island run 2% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing6% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities47% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% above the US average
- All items2% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,528 | $18,336 |
| Food | $480 | $5,760 |
| Transportation | $379 | $4,548 |
| Healthcare | $362 | $4,344 |
| Utilities | $382 | $4,584 |
| Total before taxes | $3,131 | $37,572 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Rhode Island taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 3.8% |
| $82,050 | 4.8% |
| $186,450 | 6% |
Payroll programs withheld from wages
- Temporary Disability / Caregiver Insurance (TDI/TCI)1.1% up to $100,000
Phase-out of the deduction and exemption above $261,000 AGI is not modelled.
Taxes on the median household income
$83,504 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$9,541 |
| Payroll taxes | −$7,307 |
| State income tax | −$2,515 |
| Effective tax rate | 23.2% |
Cities in Rhode Island
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Rhode Island city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Rhode Island
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $161,560 | $76,951 |
| Physician assistant | $139,930 | $63,193 |
| Lawyer | $138,960 | $62,577 |
| Nurse practitioner | $135,970 | $60,674 |
| Software engineer | $130,590 | $57,253 |
| Pharmacist | $128,180 | $55,720 |
| Veterinarian | $126,570 | $54,696 |
| Mechanical engineer | $116,230 | $48,008 |
| Project manager | $104,680 | $40,432 |
| Lineman | $104,620 | $40,393 |
| Speech-language pathologist | $104,000 | $39,986 |
| Data scientist | $102,440 | $38,962 |
| Registered nurse | $100,640 | $37,781 |
| Financial analyst | $100,550 | $37,723 |
| Occupational therapist | $100,040 | $37,388 |
Salary pages in Rhode Island, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Rhode Island
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $228,590 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $167,270 |
| Financial Managers | $166,940 |
| Sales Managers | $154,970 |
| Lawyers | $138,960 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $135,970 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $134,630 |
| Software Developers | $130,590 |
| Pharmacists | $128,180 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $119,980 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $119,260 |
| General and Operations Managers | $117,380 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $116,230 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $106,520 |
| Project Management Specialists | $104,680 |
Living in Rhode Island
Rhode Island against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Rhode Island | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $455,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,418 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 5% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 26.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 11.6% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Rhode Island with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Rhode Island?
Prices in Rhode Island are 2% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,528 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,603 a month.
Does Rhode Island have a state income tax?
Yes. Rhode Island's income tax rate is up to 6%. On a typical wage of $56,780, a single filer pays about $1,512 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Rhode Island?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $46,100 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Rhode Island earns $56,780 and keeps $8,096 after those costs.
Where in Rhode Island does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Rhode Island cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Warwick ($4,746 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Providence ($4,686).
What jobs pay the most in Rhode Island?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Rhode Island goes to Physicians, All Other ($228,590); Computer and Information Systems Managers ($167,270); Financial Managers ($166,940) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate