Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in Rhode Island?
At Rhode Island's median household income of $83,504, the 30% rule leaves about $1,851 a month for rent after about $236 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. The 1-bedroom median in the Providence metro is $1,178. The city page below adds that metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in Rhode Island
$1,851/mo
30% of gross income is $2,087 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $236, which leaves $1,851 for rent.
The Providence metro's 1-bedroom median is $1,178. Open the city page below to compare it with your max.
- Take-home
- $5,367/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $3,702First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $2,319/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $5,367 goes at your max rent of $1,851. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent35%$1,851
- Electric, gas, water3%$152
- Internet1%$69
- Renters insurance<1%$15
- Left over61%$3,280
Housing comes to $2,087 a month, 30% of gross income and 39% of take-home. That leaves $3,280 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in Rhode Island
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Providence metro
$1,178 1-bed
Household income in Rhode Island
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in Rhode Island at $83,504. That was down 4.5% from $87,469 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $3,548. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in Rhode Island
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in Rhode Island, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $432 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $161 |
| Natural gas | $129 |
| Water | $34 |
| Sewer | $46 |
| Trash | $62 |
| Internet | $69 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, Rhode Island's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how Rhode Island's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.