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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 1 cities in Rhode Island. Providence: index 114, income $66,772, transport index 108.
190,792 residents · Rhode Island
Providence comes in at #1. Rent is $2,187 a month. Household income is $66,772. The cost of living index is 114. Fairly typical for a city this size.
#1 Ranked: Providence — cost index 114, rent $2,187/mo, income $66,772
Young-professional scoring: income $66,772, population 190,792 (job market depth), transport index 108
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence | 114 | $2,187 | Details |
Career-launching requires a city that pays well and has employer depth. We analyzed 1 cities in Rhode Island. Providence: index 114, income $66,772, transport index 108.
Providence earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 114 cost index sits 2 points above the national baseline, and the $66,772 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $420,051 — $47,319 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 105, while Housing trails at 136.
Bottom line: Providence leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
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 young professionals 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.