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STATE · ADMITTED 1790 · 2000 CENSUS

Rhode Island

1,048,319 residents · 5 counties · 36 cities · 1,034 sq mi · 250 census tracts
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The short version

With 1,048,319 people, Rhode Island is a state. Owners hold 60% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $130,500. The population has held roughly steady since 1990. About 26% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Households earn $42,090 at the median, near the US median.

RI
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,048,319
+4%since 1990
from 1,003,464 in 1990
1990 – 2024
Median age
36.7
+8%since 1990
from 34.1 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
1,034 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
994K1.0M1.1M1.1M1.1M19902000201020202024Rhode Island
20241.1M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.1%(63,896)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.9%(71,905)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.8%(71,370)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.2%(75,445)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 246.9%(71,813)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.4%(140,326)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.2%(170,310)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5413.5%(141,863)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.5%(88,989)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747%(73,684)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 845.5%(57,821)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2%(20,897)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$42,090
−1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $32,181 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$21,688
+45%since 1990
from $14,981 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
11.9%
+2.3 ptssince 1990
from 9.6% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$130,500
−25%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $132,700 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$553
−14%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $489 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
60.0%
+0.5 ptssince 1990
from 59.5% in 1990
40.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic91.6%(919,073)
Black3.8%(37,986)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(43,932)
Asian1.8%(17,615)
2000
White, non-Hispanic81.9%(858,433)
Black4%(41,922)
Hispanic / Latino8.7%(90,820)
Asian2.2%(23,416)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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
25.6%
+4.3 ptssince 1990
from 21.3% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
78.0%
+5.9 ptssince 1990
from 72.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
9.7%
+1.9 ptssince 1990
from 7.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.0 min
−18%since 1990
from 18.3 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.5%(128,908)
Married56.4%(223,608)
Widowed3%(12,059)
Divorced8%(31,821)
Women 15+
Never married27.1%(120,648)
Married50.8%(225,968)
Widowed11.5%(51,061)
Divorced10.7%(47,430)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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 1,048,319 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Rhode Island?

The typical household in Rhode Island earns about $42,090 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 $130,500, and the typical rent is about $553 a month.

How educated are people in Rhode Island?

About 25.6% 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 11.9% 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 44,855 residents, a change of about 4 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 →