Rhode Island Population
Rhode Island has a population of 1,059,361 as of 2019. The population density is 1,006 people per square mile. Rhode Island is the second most densely populated state in the United States. The majority of the population is located in the urban areas of Providence and Warwick and their suburbs. The state’s largest ethnic group is white (80.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.7%), Black or African American (6.5%), Asian (3.0%) and Native American (0.5%). Other ethnic groups make up less than one percent of the population, including Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, multiracial individuals, and Alaskan Natives/American Indians. Rhode Island’s residents are well-educated; over 33% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is higher than the national average of 28%. The median household income for Rhode Islanders was $62,852 in 2017, compared to the national median household income of $60,336 in 2017.
The economy in Rhode Island is diverse and includes manufacturing, healthcare services, finance and insurance services as well as tourism and hospitality industries. The unemployment rate has been decreasing since 2016 with an unemployment rate of 4% in 2019 compared to 5% nationally that same year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2018 there were approximately 538 thousand people employed in Rhode Island with an average wage per job estimated to be $55 thousand dollars annually according to U.S Census Bureau data from 2019.
The largest cities in Rhode Island are Providence (177 thousand), Warwick (83 thousand), Cranston (81 thousand) and Pawtucket (72 thousand). These cities have experienced growth since 2000 due to new development projects such as waterfront revitalization projects on Narragansett Bay which have attracted new residents as well as businesses relocating from other states like Massachusetts and Connecticut seeking lower taxes rates than those states offer businesses within their borders.
Rhode Island Population by Year – Historical Population Data
| Year | Population | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,093,734 | -0.30% |
| 2021 | 1,096,985 | 0.06% |
| 2020 | 1,096,345 | 3.61% |
| 2019 | 1,058,158 | -0.11% |
| 2018 | 1,059,338 | 0.26% |
| 2017 | 1,056,554 | -0.12% |
| 2016 | 1,057,816 | 0.09% |
| 2015 | 1,056,886 | 0.04% |
| 2014 | 1,056,511 | 0.09% |
| 2013 | 1,055,560 | 0.06% |
| 2012 | 1,054,893 | 0.10% |
| 2011 | 1,053,829 | -0.02% |
| 2010 | 1,053,994 | 0.03% |
| 2009 | 1,053,646 | -0.13% |
| 2008 | 1,055,003 | -0.22% |
| 2007 | 1,057,315 | -0.54% |
| 2006 | 1,063,096 | -0.45% |
| 2005 | 1,067,916 | -0.62% |
| 2004 | 1,074,579 | 0.30% |
| 2003 | 1,071,342 | 0.50% |
| 2002 | 1,065,995 | 0.84% |
| 2001 | 1,057,142 | 0.65% |
| 2000 | 1,050,268 | 6.00% |
| 1999 | 990,819 | 0.32% |
| 1998 | 987,704 | 0.07% |
| 1997 | 986,966 | -0.09% |
| 1996 | 987,858 | -0.14% |
| 1995 | 989,203 | -0.42% |
| 1994 | 993,412 | -0.44% |
| 1993 | 997,852 | -0.27% |
| 1992 | 1,000,571 | -0.34% |
| 1991 | 1,003,990 | -0.07% |
| 1990 | 1,004,649 | 0.40% |
| 1989 | 1,000,666 | 0.43% |
| 1988 | 996,408 | 0.69% |
| 1987 | 989,604 | 1.25% |
| 1986 | 977,341 | 0.87% |
| 1985 | 968,955 | 0.73% |
| 1984 | 961,894 | 0.58% |
| 1983 | 956,382 | 0.23% |
| 1982 | 954,170 | 0.12% |
| 1981 | 953,013 | 0.45% |
| 1980 | 948,773 | -0.17% |
| 1979 | 950,382 | -0.15% |
| 1978 | 951,816 | 0.17% |
| 1977 | 950,230 | 0.44% |
| 1976 | 946,089 | 0.35% |
| 1975 | 942,788 | -0.82% |
| 1974 | 950,615 | -2.57% |
| 1973 | 975,738 | 0.10% |
| 1972 | 974,790 | 1.21% |
| 1971 | 963,107 | 1.41% |
| 1970 | 949,723 | 1.90% |
Rhode Island Population by City
| Rank | Name | 2020 Census | Annual Change | Density (mi²) | Area (mi²) |
| 1 | Providence | 190,934 | 0.67% | 10,584 | 18.41 |
| 2 | Cranston | 82,934 | 0.31% | 2,953 | 28.34 |
| 3 | Warwick | 82,823 | 0.02% | 2,368 | 35 |
| 4 | Pawtucket | 75,604 | 0.58% | 8,878 | 8.67 |
| 5 | East Providence | 47,139 | 0.02% | 3,549 | 13.29 |
| 6 | Woonsocket | 43,240 | 0.47% | 5,662 | 7.75 |
| 7 | Newport | 25,163 | 0.19% | 3,303 | 7.66 |
| 8 | Central Falls | 22,583 | 1.38% | 19,704 | 1.2 |
| 9 | Westerly | 18,423 | 0.27% | 1,173 | 15.83 |
| 10 | Newport East | 12,337 | 0.46% | 2,176 | 5.75 |
| 11 | Valley Falls | 12,094 | 0.45% | 3,469 | 3.53 |
| 12 | Greenville | 9,061 | 0.44% | 1,800 | 5.1 |
| 13 | Cumberland Hill | 8,140 | 0.26% | 2,579 | 3.18 |
| 14 | Kingston | 7,825 | 1.06% | 5,193 | 1.56 |
| 15 | Tiverton | 7,809 | 0.32% | 1,886 | 4.18 |
| 16 | Pascoag | 4,641 | 0.13% | 928 | 5.02 |
| 17 | Narragansett Pier | 3,308 | -0.30% | 919 | 3.57 |
| 18 | Hope Valley | 1,870 | 1.35% | 586 | 3.32 |
| 19 | Harrisville | 1,745 | 0.79% | 2,201 | 0.81 |
| 20 | Chepachet | 1,704 | 0.18% | 313 | 5.47 |
| 21 | Melville | 1,609 | 1.74% | 810 | 2.1 |
| 22 | Ashaway | 1,501 | 0.13% | 634 | 2.38 |
| 23 | Bradford | 1,457 | 0.34% | 810 | 1.82 |
| 24 | Harmony | 1,036 | 0.48% | 357 | 2.94 |
| 25 | Carolina | 924 | -0.55% | 369 | 2.46 |
| 26 | Greene | 914 | 0.33% | 152 | 6.07 |
| 27 | Weekapaug | 467 | 0.84% | 412 | 1.16 |
| 28 | Misquamicut | 434 | 0.91% | 380 | 1.17 |
| 29 | Quonochontaug | 422 | 2.04% | 334 | 1.34 |
| 30 | Wyoming | 415 | 3.16% | 530 | 0.86 |
| 31 | Foster Center | 333 | -0.61% | 151 | 2.17 |
| 32 | Clayville | 312 | 0.32% | 183 | 1.72 |
| 33 | Watch Hill | 212 | 2.68% | 287 | 0.8 |