County housing intelligence
Rhode Island Housing Market by County
Rhode Island is not one housing market. Across 5 counties, the median county home value is $468,000 and the median county rent is $1,303/mo. The useful question is not whether Rhode Island is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$468,000
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,303/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
5
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Rhode Island Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Newport County, Washington County, Bristol County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Kent County, Providence County, Bristol County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Newport County, Bristol County, Washington County lead on rent, while Providence County, Kent County, Washington County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Kent County, Bristol County, Providence County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Kent County
$333,900
- 2. Providence County
$339,100
- 3. Bristol County
$468,000
- 4. Washington County
$469,800
- 5. Newport County
$559,700
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Kent County
3.7x home-value-to-income
- 2. Bristol County
4.2x home-value-to-income
- 3. Providence County
4.3x home-value-to-income
- 4. Washington County
4.6x home-value-to-income
- 5. Newport County
5.5x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Providence County
$1,242/mo
- 2. Kent County
$1,264/mo
- 3. Washington County
$1,303/mo
- 4. Bristol County
$1,348/mo
- 5. Newport County
$1,652/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Bristol County
27.0% rent burden
- 2. Providence County
28.0% rent burden
- 3. Kent County
30.0% rent burden
- 4. Newport County
30.0% rent burden
- 5. Washington County
30.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Newport County
0.95% effective tax rate
- 2. Washington County
1.05% effective tax rate
- 3. Providence County
1.37% effective tax rate
- 4. Bristol County
1.39% effective tax rate
- 5. Kent County
1.47% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Newport County
$-247/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Providence County
$-470/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Kent County
$-511/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Washington County
$-534/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Bristol County
$-732/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Bristol County
$110,926 income, 4.2x value-to-income
- 2. Kent County
$91,278 income, 3.7x value-to-income
- 3. Washington County
$102,478 income, 4.6x value-to-income
- 4. Newport County
$100,859 income, 5.5x value-to-income
- 5. Providence County
$78,204 income, 4.3x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Kent County $333,900 home value, $91,278 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Kent County $333,900 home value, 1.47% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Kent County $1,264/mo rent, 30.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Washington County $469,800 home value, $102,478 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Compare Every Rhode Island County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | $333,900 | $1,264/mo | $91,278 | 3.7x | 1.47% |
| Bristol County | $468,000 | $1,348/mo | $110,926 | 4.2x | 1.39% |
| Providence County | $339,100 | $1,242/mo | $78,204 | 4.3x | 1.37% |
| Washington County | $469,800 | $1,303/mo | $102,478 | 4.6x | 1.05% |
| Newport County | $559,700 | $1,652/mo | $100,859 | 5.5x | 0.95% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Rhode Island by county?
What is the typical rent in Rhode Island by county?
Which Rhode Island counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.