Rhode Island Demographics & Population 2026

Name: Rhode Island Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

During the 2020–2024 ACS period, Rhode Island had a total population of 1,101,801, with a median household income of $87,796, which is 9% higher than the national average. The poverty rate is 11.2%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Rhode Island Quick Facts

Population 1,101,801

Median Household Income $87,796

Median Home Value $404,200

Poverty Rate 11.2%

Unemployment Rate 5.8%

Median Age 40.6 years

Homeownership Rate 63.6%

Affordability Ratio 4.6x

Bachelor's Degree+ 37.7%

High School Graduation 89.7%

Counties 5

Cities/Places 36

Population 1,101,801

Median Income $87,796 9% higher than national

Poverty Rate 11.2%

Unemployment 5.8%

How Rhode Island Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	1,095,371	1,101,801	+0.6%
Median household income	$86,372	$87,796	+1.6%
Median home value	$368,800	$404,200	+9.6%

Median Household Income

$87,796

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

$404,200

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 14.8%

$25K-$50K 14.1%

$50K-$100K 27.1%

$100K+ 44.0%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.6%

$10K-$15K

4.1%

$15K-$20K

3.4%

$20K-$25K

2.8%

$25K-$30K

2.7%

$30K-$35K

3.0%

$35K-$40K

2.8%

$40K-$45K

2.8%

$45K-$50K

2.8%

$50K-$60K

5.9%

$60K-$75K

8.6%

$75K-$100K

12.6%

$100K-$125K

10.4%

$125K-$150K

8.7%

$150K-$200K

11.1%

$200K+

13.8%

Employment

5.8% Unemployment Rate National: 5.2%

65.0% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 63.6%

Renter 36.4%

Affordability Index Moderate

4.6x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,342/mo 18.3% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

18.8%

18-34

23.9%

35-54

24.7%

55-74

24.9%

75+

7.8%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 50 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Largest Cities in Rhode Island

#	City	Population	Median Income	Poverty
1	Providence	191,767	$68,119	20.7%
2	Cranston	83,250	$90,206	10.2%
3	Warwick	83,175	$88,708	7.6%
4	Pawtucket	75,893	$68,310	13.3%
5	East Providence	47,281	$75,912	10.1%
6	Woonsocket	43,521	$61,059	18.7%
7	Newport	24,874	$86,313	16.5%
8	Central Falls	22,701	$49,285	24.6%
9	Westerly	18,411	$95,207	5.7%
10	Valley Falls	12,657	$92,901	4.1%

Richest Cities in Rhode Island

#	City	Median Income	Home Value	Bachelor's+
1	Carolina	$140,196	$396,400	43.4%
2	Cumberland Hill	$130,506	$394,300	49.3%
3	Pascoag	$121,369	$365,000	26.1%
4	Bradford	$120,250	$418,100	39.1%
5	Harmony	$120,235	$341,400	38.2%
6	Charlestown	$108,563	$583,200	57.6%
7	Kingston	$107,404	$553,400	77.0%
8	Wakefield-Peace Dale	$106,551	$494,400	59.6%
9	Ashaway	$103,707	$343,600	31.7%
10	Melville	$102,266	N/A	59.5%

Most Affordable Cities in Rhode Island

By home-value-to-income ratio (lower = more affordable). Min. population 1,000.

#	City	Ratio	Home Value	Income
1	Carolina	2.8x	$396,400	$140,196
2	Harmony	2.8x	$341,400	$120,235
3	Chepachet	3.0x	$279,400	$92,971
4	Pascoag	3.0x	$365,000	$121,369
5	Cumberland Hill	3.0x	$394,300	$130,506
6	Ashaway	3.3x	$343,600	$103,707
7	Bradford	3.5x	$418,100	$120,250
8	Warwick	4.0x	$354,600	$88,708
9	Valley Falls	4.0x	$375,200	$92,901
10	Tiverton	4.1x	$407,200	$99,158

Explore Rhode Island Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

All Counties in Rhode Island (5)

5 results


Providence County	664,854	$78,787	13.4%	$373,600
Kent County	171,456	$94,345	7.5%	$366,100
Washington County	130,344	$106,638	8.2%	$510,800
Newport County	84,657	$103,514	8.5%	$609,700
Bristol County	50,490	$114,490	6.5%	$513,800

All Cities & Places in Rhode Island (36)

36 results


Providence	191,767	$68,119	20.7%	$362,200
Cranston	83,250	$90,206	10.2%	$378,300
Warwick	83,175	$88,708	7.6%	$354,600
Pawtucket	75,893	$68,310	13.3%	$325,500
East Providence	47,281	$75,912	10.1%	$365,500
Woonsocket	43,521	$61,059	18.7%	$311,000
Newport	24,874	$86,313	16.5%	$746,900
Central Falls	22,701	$49,285	24.6%	$352,100
Westerly	18,411	$95,207	5.7%	$448,800
Valley Falls	12,657	$92,901	4.1%	$375,200
Newport East	11,069	$89,028	11.7%	$485,400
Wakefield-Peace Dale	9,302	$106,551	9.5%	$494,400
Cumberland Hill	8,648	$130,506	4.7%	$394,300
Greenville	8,296	$97,234	4.8%	$434,700
Tiverton	8,091	$99,158	4.4%	$407,200
Kingston	7,332	$107,404	1.8%	$553,400
Pascoag	4,410	$121,369	11.4%	$365,000
Narragansett Pier	3,167	$82,192	13.6%	$851,300
Hope Valley	2,297	$101,932	9.2%	$447,500
Chepachet	1,923	$92,971	3.5%	$279,400
Harrisville	1,767	$62,535	11.4%	$355,000
Ashaway	1,722	$103,707	1.4%	$343,600
Melville	1,631	$102,266	1.6%	N/A
Bradford	1,511	$120,250	2.3%	$418,100
Charlestown	1,499	$108,563	4.2%	$583,200

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Download Rhode Island Data

Free CSV downloads of Rhode Island demographic data — no account or payment required. Files use official Census place names (e.g. "Springfield city", "Oakdale CDP"), so they match Census Bureau sources exactly.

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Cities Data (CSV) All cities: population, income, housing, race, education

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Counties Data (CSV) All counties: population, income, housing, race, education

Population Overview

Rhode Island has a total population of 1,101,801, making it a smaller state in the nation. The median age is 40.6 years, 4% higher than the national median of 38.9 years.

Age Demographics

The median age in Rhode Island is 40.6 years. This is 4% higher than the national median of 38.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Rhode Island is $87,796. This is 9% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.2%. This is 10% lower than the national poverty rate of 12.4%. The unemployment rate is 5.8%. This is 11% higher than the national rate of 5.2%. The median home value is $404,200. Housing costs are 21% higher than the national median of $332,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.6x. 63.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% lower than the national average of 65.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Rhode Island is White (non-Hispanic), making up 68.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 17.7%. The Black or African American population (4.9%) is well below the national average of 11.9%.

Education

37.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 6% higher than the national rate of 35.7%. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.7%. Notably, 15.4% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Rhode Island come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has a total population of 1,101,801 according to the U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.

What is the median income in Rhode Island?

The median household income in Rhode Island is $87,796, which is 9% higher than the national median of $80,734.

How many cities are in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has 36 Census-designated places (cities, towns, and CDPs) and 5 counties.

What is the poverty rate in Rhode Island?

The poverty rate in Rhode Island is 11.2%, compared to the national average of 12.4%.

What is the largest city in Rhode Island?

The largest city in Rhode Island is Providence with a population of 191,767.