RI
Rhode Island
Population 1,101,801
6 Sources
Updated September 10, 2026
1.1M
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$87,796
Median Income
$80,734 national
$80.4B
GDP (current $), change real
4.2%
Unemployment
4.0% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$87,796
Per Capita
$47,150
Mean Household
$115,075
Poverty Rate
11.2%
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 18.8%
18-34 · 23.9%
35-54 · 24.7%
55-64 · 13.9%
65+ · 18.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
89.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
+0.1 pts
37.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
+2.0 pts
15.4%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
+1.3 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
1,101,801
Population
594,253
Labor Force
Employed
559,823
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
4.2%
2025 is not shown for Rhode Island: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 1 min below national avg
25.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
13%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Rhode Island's median household income sits 9% above the national median. At 11.2%, its poverty rate runs 1.3 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 37.7% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong consumer markets statewide.
- Broadly in line with U.S. norms across income, poverty, education, and age.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
$80.4B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
102.280
Cost of Living - Above Avg
Key Takeaways
- Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 86,132 workers (23.5% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $64,816. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 61,316 and is counted separately.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $80.4B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Finance and Insurance averages $121,802 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $31,114, a 3.9x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.22x
Animal Production and Aquaculture
193 employed
0.26x
Wood Product Manufacturing
341 employed
Energy-intensive sector in a state where industrial electricity costs 2.52x the national average.
0.27x
Air Transportation
516 employed
0.42x
Apparel Manufacturing
110 employed
0.43x
Truck Transportation
2,091 employed
0.48x
Machinery Manufacturing
1,719 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only; 2 further sub-sectors met the LQ test but conflict with it and are not listed.
Industrial electricity in Rhode Island costs 21.74¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025).
Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level.
Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Textile Mills concentrates at 5.54x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
- Cluster depth: 9 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 6 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5 and clear the industrial power-cost screen, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$404,200
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,342
Rent/Mo
63.6%
Owner-Occ
9.1%
Vacancy
4.6x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 39 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$1,346/mo$1,318 to $1,752
1 Bedroom
$1,424/mo$1,362 to $1,764
2 Bedroom
$1,765/mo$1,721 to $2,314
3 Bedroom
$2,154/mo$2,087 to $3,131
4 Bedroom
$2,546/mo$2,326 to $3,595
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,256/mo, from a renter median of $50,251) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 45.4% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 22.5% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 4.6x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- Rent affordability gap: None of the 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $50,251 can pay without cost burden (~$1,256/mo), and 45.4% of renter households are already cost-burdened, 22.5% severely so.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
688,145
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
vs 2019
Mean Commute 1 min below national avg
25.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
13%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
37.7%
HS Diploma+
89.7%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
4,664/yr
3,506/yr
2,161/yr
1,614/yr
1,577/yr
1,479/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22.3%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 13.9% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
44%
Service
17%
Sales & Office
19.6%
Construction / Maint.
7.5%
Production / Transport
11.9%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 60% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 559,823 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 22.3% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Healthy participation: 66.9% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
Source: ACS workforce data.
County Profiles
5 counties in Rhode Island
AI Insights
Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.
Sample AI Insight
Rhode Island shows strong potential for textile mills attraction, with a 5.54x concentration and 1,479 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 22.3% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
Cluster depth across textile mills, educational services, and fishing, hunting and trapping creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Rhode Island, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Rhode Island?
1,101,801 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Rhode Island?
$87,796 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Rhode Island?
4.2% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Rhode Island?
$80.4B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).
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