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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
For retirees on a fixed income, every percentage point matters. Our retiree-weighted model scored 1 cities in Rhode Island and Providence (index 128, healthcare 106, state tax 5.99%) takes the top spot.
#1 Ranked: Providence — cost index 128, rent $2,187/mo, income $66,772
Retiree-weighted scoring: healthcare index 106, state tax 5.99%, cost index 128 — protecting fixed retirement income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
For retirees on a fixed income, every percentage point matters. Our retiree-weighted model scored 1 cities in Rhode Island and Providence (index 128, healthcare 106, state tax 5.99%) takes the top spot.
Why Providence ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 128 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 17% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,187/month while the median household pulls in $66,772/year. The Healthcare category is particularly strong at 106, though Housing (128) lags behind. Home prices average $420,051 — $47,319 below the national median.
Retirement affordability is about protecting fixed income. And from what we can tell, our model weights healthcare costs at 25 points (medical bills are the #1 financial risk in retirement), cost index at 25 points, and state tax burden at 15 points (taxes directly reduce pension and Social Security income). Providence leads with manageable medical expenses, a 5.99% state tax rate, and a cost index of 128.
Real talk: Put differently: Here's the state-level backdrop: Rhode Island averages a 128 cost index, $2,187/mo rent, and $66,772 income across 1 cities. That's $292 more than the national rent average. Smallest state, New England price tag — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours (more on that below).
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence | 128 | $2,187 | Details |
190,792 residents · Rhode Island
The numbers for Providence are straightforward: 128 on the cost index, $2,187/month rent, $66,772 income. And for the typical household, not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. Nothing too surprising there (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
Our persona scoring model weights cost of living, income, rent, healthcare costs, tax burden, and population size differently based on what matters most to retirees. 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 128 and median income of $66,772.
Providence scores highest for retirees 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.