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STATE · ADMITTED 1790

Rhode Island

1,101,801 residents · 5 counties · 36 cities · 1,034 sq mi · 250 census tracts
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The short version

Rhode Island is a state of 1,101,801 people. That puts it in the top 5% of US states for household income. There are 1,066 people per square mile. About 38% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The population has held roughly steady since 2000. The typical home is worth $404,200, having roughly tripled since 2000.

RI
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,101,801
+5%since 2000
from 1,048,319 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
1,066 / sq mi
+4%since 2009
from 1,023 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.6
+11%since 2000
from 36.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,034 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
994K1.0M1.1M1.1M1.1M19902000201020202024Rhode Island
20241.1M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(53,254)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(56,762)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.4%(59,389)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(73,048)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.9%(75,547)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.8%(152,419)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.7%(140,211)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.9%(131,631)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.9%(153,309)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411%(120,726)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.6%(61,242)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(24,263)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$87,796
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,090 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$47,150
+117%since 2000
from $21,688 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
56.6%
+20.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.461
+1%since 2010
from 0.456 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade10.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services6.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration5.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$404,200
+70%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $130,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,342
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $553 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.6%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 60.0% in 2000
36.4% rent
Vacancy rate
9.1%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.39 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.52 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
26.5%
−10.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 46.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.6
−10%since 2009
from 5.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic81.9%(858,433)
Black4%(41,922)
Hispanic / Latino8.7%(90,820)
Asian2.2%(23,416)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic68%(749,439)
Black4.9%(54,225)
Hispanic / Latino17.7%(194,915)
Asian3.5%(38,127)
Other5.9%(65,095)
Diversity Score
62
+36%since 2009
from 46 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Dominican5.8%(63,717)
Puerto Rican3.9%(43,462)
Central American3.8%(41,418)
Guatemalan3.1%(33,827)
South American2%(21,800)
Colombian1.2%(12,876)
Mexican1.1%(11,648)
Salvadoran0.4%(4,313)
Ecuadorian0.2%(2,497)
Bolivian0.2%(2,496)
Cuban0.2%(2,474)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,887)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(1,798)
Honduran0.1%(1,483)
Peruvian0.1%(1,169)
Costa Rican0.1%(678)
Panamanian0%(536)
Nicaraguan0%(514)
Argentine0%(416)
Chilean0%(326)
Uruguayan0%(81)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.8%(9,070)
Chinese0.8%(8,581)
Cambodian0.5%(5,135)
Filipino0.4%(4,157)
Laotian0.3%(3,173)
Korean0.2%(2,179)
Vietnamese0.1%(1,166)
Pakistani0.1%(1,071)
Japanese0.1%(692)
Hmong0.1%(605)
Taiwanese0%(438)
Thai0%(267)
+ 9 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(255)
Sri Lankan0%(179)
Indonesian0%(103)
Burmese0%(85)
Uzbek0%(75)
Kazakh0%(33)
Malaysian0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0%(259)
Samoan0%(205)
Chamorro0%(162)
Ancestry
Irish16.1%(176,962)
Italian14.7%(162,494)
English10.8%(119,422)
French7.3%(80,548)
Portuguese7%(76,961)
German5%(54,777)
French Canadian3.8%(41,334)
American3.7%(41,247)
Polish3.2%(34,786)
Subsaharan African3.1%(33,779)
Scottish1.7%(18,747)
Cape Verdean1.7%(18,400)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish1.2%(13,493)
West Indian0.9%(9,736)
Russian0.8%(9,078)
Arab0.8%(8,808)
Greek0.5%(5,541)
Haitian0.5%(5,341)
Dutch0.4%(4,588)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(4,505)
Armenian0.4%(4,498)
Lebanese0.4%(4,189)
Norwegian0.3%(3,808)
Ukrainian0.3%(3,806)
Nigerian0.3%(3,688)
Lithuanian0.3%(3,332)
Canadian0.3%(3,207)
Brazilian0.3%(3,177)
Welsh0.3%(3,024)
British0.2%(2,645)
Hungarian0.2%(2,472)
Jamaican0.2%(2,107)
Austrian0.2%(1,793)
Syrian0.2%(1,773)
Czech0.1%(1,633)
Danish0.1%(1,400)
Finnish0.1%(1,330)
Romanian0.1%(1,129)
Swiss0.1%(1,040)
Belgian0.1%(1,026)
Slovak0.1%(899)
Turkish0.1%(773)
Egyptian0.1%(732)
Iranian0.1%(597)
Moroccan0%(429)
Ethiopian0%(414)
Croatian0%(366)
Latvian0%(350)
Barbadian0%(270)
Australian0%(255)
Guyanese0%(250)
Ghanaian0%(217)
Israeli0%(191)
Serbian0%(146)
Kenyan0%(135)
Iraqi0%(121)
Jordanian0%(118)
Slovene0%(85)
Bulgarian0%(67)
Somali0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
37.7%
+12.1 ptssince 2000
from 25.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.7%
+11.7 ptssince 2000
from 78.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.4%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.5 min
+70%since 2000
from 15.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.4%
−8.3 ptssince 2009
from 80.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.7%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.0%
+9.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 8.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.0%
−1.3 ptssince 2011
from 66.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 77.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
44.0%
+8.2 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
Foreign born
15.3%
+2.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.1%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2012
from 12.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.4%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.7%
+11.7 ptssince 2017
from 80.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.7%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 90.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 88.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
76.9%
−1.4 ptssince 2016
from 78.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
13.5%
+1.9 ptssince 2016
from 11.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.5%(183,849)
Married47.5%(215,750)
Widowed2.8%(12,656)
Divorced9.2%(41,670)
Women 15+
Never married34.6%(165,722)
Married44.1%(211,066)
Widowed8.7%(41,419)
Divorced12.6%(60,264)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.4%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 58.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 19.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 21.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
70.3%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 71.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 37.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.9%(9,952)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.6%(7,536)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.7%(16,189)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.3%(2,841)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.1%(952)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 45,406 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Largest cities

1.Providence195,310
2.Cranston84,647
3.Warwick84,187
4.Pawtucket77,065
6.Woonsocket44,580
7.Newport24,251
9.Westerly18,411
10.Valley Falls12,657
11.Newport East11,069
14.Greenville8,296
15.Tiverton8,091
16.Kingston7,332
17.Pascoag4,410
19.Hope Valley2,297
20.Chepachet1,923
21.Harrisville1,767
22.Ashaway1,722
23.Melville1,631
24.Bradford1,511
25.Charlestown1,499
26.Carolina1,048
27.Harmony1,006
28.Greene962
30.Weekapaug541
33.Wyoming320
34.Clayville296
35.Hopkinton206
Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (1)
1.Providence1,708,161

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

Frequently asked

How many people live in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has about 1,101,801 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rhode Island?

The typical household in Rhode Island earns about $87,796 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rhode Island expensive?

In Rhode Island, the median home is worth about $404,200, and the typical rent is about $1,342 a month.

How educated are people in Rhode Island?

About 37.7% of adults age 25 and over in Rhode Island hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rhode Island?

About 11.2% of people in Rhode Island live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rhode Island grown since 1990?

Yes, Rhode Island has grown since 1990. The population has added about 98,337 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →