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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Families relocating within Rhode Island face a complex equation: income, housing costs, healthcare, and quality schools. We ran the numbers on 1 cities. Providence — index 114 — we had to double-check this one — , rent $2,187/mo, healthcare index 118 — ranks #1 on our family-weighted model (and that…
#1 Ranked: Providence — cost index 114, rent $2,187/mo, income $66,772
Family-weighted scoring: income $66,772, healthcare index 118, population 190,792 — balancing career, care, and schools
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Families relocating within Rhode Island face a complex equation: income, housing costs, healthcare, and quality schools. We ran the numbers on 1 cities. Providence — index 114 — we had to double-check this one — , rent $2,187/mo, healthcare index 118 — ranks #1 on our family-weighted model (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Our family scoring model prioritizes four dimensions: household income above $60K (supporting a family-sized budget), cost index under 100 (keeping daily expenses manageable), healthcare index under 110 (critical for pediatric care and family premiums), and population above 200K (ensuring access to quality schools and youth programs). Providence leads because it scores across all four.
Providence comes in at #1. Rent is $2,187 a month. Household income is $66,772. The cost of living index is 114. You get the picture.
If you only look at rent, it's perfect. Zoom out and it's complicated. In Providence, the housing index sits at 136 — above average and worth factoring in.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence | 114 | $2,187 | Details |
190,792 residents · Rhode Island
The #1 spot goes to Providence, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,187/month — costing renters $3,504 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 105, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 136. The 39% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
Our persona scoring model weights cost of living, income, rent, healthcare costs, tax burden, and population size differently based on what matters most to families. Each factor contributes 10-25 points to a 0-100 composite score. Cities with the highest composite rank first. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Providence ranks #1 in Rhode Island for this analysis with a cost index of 114 and median income of $66,772.
Providence scores highest for families due to its strong income potential, median rent of $2,187/mo, and competitive median income of $66,772.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Providence is $2,187/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $292 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Providence is $420,051, which is 6.3× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Rhode Island has a 5.99% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.24%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.