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Rhode Island

#40 of 50 states · 😐 Meh

#40of 50
Rhode Island among U.S. states
D50
😐 Meh
🏆 Bad airtop 15%
🚽 Jobsbottom 26%
Rolled up from 8 ranked cities · 572,462 residents
Taxes
7.00% sales · US 7.00%up to 5.99% income · US 4.63%

City heat map

Every ranked city — bubble size = population, color = how it ranks within Rhode Island. Tap a bubble for its card.

Best-ranked in Rhode IslandWorst-ranked

Color is each city's rank within Rhode Island — not its national score. Hover or open a bubble for that, or see every city on one scale on the national map.

The breakdown — worst first

Unemployment rate26

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Share of the labor force out of work.

Homeownership27

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poor mental health31

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Physical inactivity31

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Income inequality32

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Rent32

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost36

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Poverty rate37

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Property-tax burden38

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Broadband access39

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Commute time44

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Uninsured adults45

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Median household income48

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Bachelor's degree or higher51

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Natural disaster risk53

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more.

Adult smoking54

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Share of adults who currently smoke.

Adult obesity56

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Population growth (5yr)59

Population-weighted average across 8 Rhode Island cities

5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Air quality (AQI)79

Population-weighted average across 7 Rhode Island cities

Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air.

Unhealthy air days85

Population-weighted average across 7 Rhode Island cities

Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100).

See all Rhode Island cities →

Rhode Island's headline score is the population-weighted average of its cities' scores, placed on a curve relative to the other states — a bird's-eye, states-vs-states ranking. The breakdown bars above are the absolute, per-metric rollup across its cities of 5,000+ residents. The heat map colors each city by its rank within Rhode Island(greenest = best here); the city lists below show each city's national score.