The local economy of Rhode Island and its counties, metro areas and cities, from official US government data, plus daily local gas prices for the state, its counties and metro areas.
Unemployment rate
3.7%
-0.6 ptsvs a year ago
Counties: lowest Bristol County 2.9%, highest Providence County 4.2%.
August 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary
Average weekly pay
$1,487
+4.2%vs a year ago
486,940 jobs at 49,057 business locations.
Q1 2026, all jobs
New homes permitted
2,113
+42.7%this year vs last year
Most in Providence County 1,007, Kent County 569.
Homes in the last 12 months, to August 2026
People moving in
-1,176
-1.4 per 1,000residents
27,510 moved in and 28,686 moved out. Most newcomers came from Massachusetts.
Net people, 2022 to 2023, the newest year published
Rhode Island gas price
$4.29
+$1.28vs a year ago
Counties: lowest Bristol County $4.24, highest Washington County $4.39. Counties and metro areas
Regular, per gallon, Rhode Island, October 10, 2026
Newest data: -. Not seasonally adjusted: compare with the same month a year earlier. Click a row for the history of that area.
The state, its counties and metro areas, updated daily. A separate series from the weekly survey prices above.
Business locations, employees and payroll by industry, 2023. Click an industry for its US report.
Business locations
30K
+0.1%vs 2022
2023, places with paid employees
Employees
444K
+1.2%vs 2022
Largest sector: Health Care and Social Assistance (19.3%).
2023, mid-March
Annual payroll
$27.5B
Wages and salaries paid during the year.
2023, all industries
Average pay
$61,992
Highest sector: Utilities $137,496.
Per employee per year
Share of Rhode Island's employees, 2023
| Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 40,595 | $26,987 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 22,030 | $73,779 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 21,605 | $46,108 |
| Grocery Stores | 10,980 | $30,349 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 10,068 | $95,368 |
| Depository Credit Intermediation | 10,008 | $98,391 |
| Offices of Physicians | 9,130 | $113,841 |
| Individual and Family Services | 9,025 | $37,400 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | 8,927 | $86,757 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 8,207 | $50,308 |
| Employment Services | 8,130 | $62,026 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 7,473 | $49,902 |
Most values are changed slightly to protect the privacy of single businesses; a few are withheld and shown as a range. Counties and metro areas have the same numbers in the area card above (Industries).
Offered pay in certified work-visa filings, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Click a company for its jobs and salaries.
In fiscal year 2025, employers offered a median of $110,500 a year in 1,233 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Rhode Island, up 0.1% from 2024 (US: $120,000). The largest job group was Software Developers. Fiscal year 2026 so far covers filings decided through Jun 30, 2026.
Median offered pay
$110,500
+0.1%vs 2024
Middle half: $87,000 to $135,000.
H-1B, fiscal year 2025
H-1B filings
1,233
+5.7%vs 2024
2,001 positions asked for.
Certified, full-time, fiscal year 2025
Top job group
$127,812
Software Developers, 414 filings.
Median offered pay of the largest job group
Green card jobs
$119,873
-2.3%vs 2024
201 PERM filings.
PERM median, fiscal year 2025
Median and middle half of the offers in Rhode Island, next to the US median. Hover a year for the numbers.
| Job group | Filings | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 414 | $127,812 |
| Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians | 127 | $90,000 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | 65 | $95,802 |
| Data Scientists | 57 | $104,645 |
| Physicians, All Other | 36 | $252,350 |
| Computer Programmers | 32 | $83,034 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 24 | $177,274 |
| Industrial Engineers | 24 | $104,254 |
| Data Warehousing Specialists | 23 | $131,000 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 20 | $115,068 |
| Employer | Filings | Cities |
|---|---|---|
| CVS Pharmacy, Inc. CVS | 91 | 4 |
| Brown University | 79 | 1 |
| Fidelity Technology Group, LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments | 61 | 3 |
| Citizens Financial Group, Inc. CFG | 59 | 1 |
| Infosys Limited INFY | 45 | 5 |
| Tata Consultancy Services Limited TCS.NS | 44 | 4 |
| compunnel software group inc. | 43 | 6 |
| Factory Mutual Insurance Company | 43 | 2 |
| University of Rhode Island | 27 | 3 |
| Kforce Inc. KFRC | 22 | 2 |
| City | Filings | Median pay | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | 273 | $100,000 | $77,646 to $145,350 |
| Johnston | 228 | $115,482 | $94,705 to $132,689 |
| Woonsocket | 199 | $115,918 | $88,390 to $145,000 |
| Smithfield | 191 | $120,000 | $110,406 to $132,000 |
| Cumberland | 73 | $126,131 | $100,000 to $144,757 |
| Warwick | 50 | $110,453 | $78,532 to $184,668 |
| West Greenwich | 37 | $103,870 | $87,237 to $114,400 |
| Kingston | 27 | $85,698 | $71,046 to $97,032 |
| Cranston | 22 | $125,099 | $101,328 to $222,500 |
| East Providence | 21 | $150,000 | $95,000 to $200,000 |
Yearly pay that employers offered in certified work-visa filings (H-1B, E-3 and PERM green card), from official public data. Pay is the lower end of the offered pay range, for full-time positions only. These are offered pay figures for positions in work-visa filings, not the pay of all employees. A filing is an offer for a position, not a hire, and one person can appear in several filings. Fiscal years run from October to September. Groups with fewer than 3 filings show counts only. Employers are ranked by filings in the cities of Rhode Island added up.
Declared disasters and flood insurance claims: what happened, from official public data.
Rhode Island has had 31 declared disasters and emergencies since 1954, 21 of them since 2000, most often Hurricane. Flood insurance has paid $139.5 million on 7,026 claims since 1978; the biggest year was 2010 ($43.8 million).
Declared disasters
21
11 major disasters. Most often Hurricane (10 since 1954).
Since 2000, all types; 31 since 1954
Flood claims paid
$18.4M
534 claims. Biggest year 2010 ($43.8M).
2016 to 2025, flood insurance
Policies in force
11,567
Average premium $1,053 a year.
2025, flood insurance policies
Most-declared county
18
Washington, latest Mar 20, 2024.
Declarations since 2000
Declarations for Rhode Island, 1954 to today
Claims paid in Rhode Island by the year of the flood, US dollars
Declarations since 1954
Declarations naming the county since 2000; statewide ones not counted
All years since 1978; policies are a yearly average. Top 5 of 5.
| # | County | Claims | Paid | Policies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington County | 2,399 | $51.9M | 4,833 |
| 2 | Providence County | 1,626 | $49.0M | 2,305 |
| 3 | Kent County | 1,300 | $21.5M | 1,855 |
| 4 | Newport County | 805 | $11.8M | 2,458 |
| 5 | Bristol County | 830 | $4.90M | 1,972 |
A declaration opens federal help after a disaster; it can name counties or the whole state. Flood insurance numbers count insured losses only (most homes have no flood insurance) and are not adjusted for inflation; the current year is data so far. For the flood-zone risk of a place, open the area on the real estate map.
Environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports of facilities in Rhode Island, from official public data.
Official public data lists 1,885 facilities in Rhode Island with records since 2010, 1,879 of them with environmental compliance records. In 2022 to 2026, the largest penalties were at Metals Recycling, LLC in Providence ($1,550,000). 13 large facilities reported 4.24 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, up 34.2% from 2022.
Facilities with records
1,885
1,879 with environmental records.
Since 2010
Largest penalties
$1.55M
Metals Recycling, LLC, Providence.
One facility, 2022 to 2026
Greenhouse gases
4.24M t
+34.2%vs 2022
13 reporting facilities.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
Largest emitter
1.36M t
Ri State Energy Center Power Plant, Johnston.
Metric tons CO2e, 2023
| Facility | Penalties | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| Metals Recycling, LLC Providence | $1,550,000 | 0 |
| Wwtf Sewage Sludge Incinerator Woonsocket | $373,660 | 1 |
| Student Transport of America DBA Ocean State Transit Exeter | $325,000 | 0 |
| Ocean State Transit, LLC - E. Providence East Providence | $325,000 | 0 |
| Rhode Island Bioenergy Facility, LLC Johnston | $220,533 | 4 |
| Monarch Metal Finishing CO., INC. Providence | $157,041 | 3 |
| G. Tanury Plating Company Johnston | $157,041 | 6 |
| Semiconductor Component Industries of Ri East Greenwich | $133,610 | 2 |
| Ennovi Advanced Mobility Solutions Rhode Island, INC. East Providence | $118,088 | 2 |
| Blount Marine Warren | $105,000 | 1 |
| Facility | Metric tons CO2e |
|---|---|
| Ri State Energy Center Power Plant Johnston | 1,361,848 |
| Manchester Street Providence | 815,758 |
| Tiverton Power, LLC Tiverton | 630,574 |
| Ocean State Power Harrisville | 583,169 |
| Ocean State Power II Harrisville | 489,534 |
| The Narragansett Electric Company Providence | 121,361 |
| Toray Plastics America North Kingstown | 95,864 |
| Burrillville Pascoag | 61,368 |
| Rhode Island Hospital Providence | 48,577 |
| Brown University Main Campus Providence | 24,995 |
Large facilities in Rhode Island, metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Hover a year for the number.
Official public data on environmental compliance records, workplace safety inspections and greenhouse gas reports, summarized by facility and year since 2010. A record does not mean a site is unsafe today; penalties and violations vary a lot by industry and size. Penalties are the amounts assessed (after settlements), not amounts paid. Recent years can still change.
Cost, students and graduate earnings of the colleges in the state, from official public data.
The newest unemployment rate, pay, new home permits, moves and gas price for Rhode Island, updated as new official numbers come out.
Unemployment for Rhode Island is seasonally adjusted; for its counties, metro areas and cities it is not, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Pay covers all jobs that pay into unemployment insurance. Building permits count homes approved to be built, not homes sold. Moves count households by where they filed their tax returns in two years in a row. Daily gas prices are average pump prices for Rhode Island, its counties and metro areas on the day shown. The weekly gas prices in the explorer come from a separate weekly survey that publishes a price for only some states, so a state without one shows the price of its region there; the two series are never combined.
The unemployment rate in Rhode Island was 3.7% in August 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary), compared with 4.3% a year earlier. 555,779 people were employed out of a labor force of 577,129. Among its counties, Bristol County had the lowest rate (2.9%) and Providence County the highest (4.2%, not seasonally adjusted).
Average weekly pay in Rhode Island was $1,487 in Q1 2026, up 4.2% from a year earlier, across 486,940 jobs at 49,057 business locations.
Building permits were issued for 171 new homes in Rhode Island in August 2026 (69 single-family and 31 in buildings with 5 or more units). From January to August the total was 1,496, up 42.7% from the same months last year, and 2,113 in the last 12 months. The most homes were permitted in Providence County (1,007), Kent County (569), Washington County (290) over the last 12 months.
No, more people moved out than in. From 2022 to 2023, 27,510 people moved to Rhode Island and 28,686 moved away, a net loss of 1,176 (-1.4 per 1,000 residents). Most newcomers came from Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and most people who left went to Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut.
Regular gasoline in Rhode Island averaged $4.29 per gallon on October 10, 2026, up $1.28 from a year earlier. Diesel averaged $6.31. Among its counties, Bristol County had the lowest regular price ($4.24) and Washington County the highest ($4.39).
Health Care and Social Assistance (85,644 employees), Accommodation and Food Services (52,438 employees), Retail Trade (49,704 employees) were the largest sectors in Rhode Island in 2023. In all, 29,510 business locations employed 444,256 people at an average pay of $61,992 a year.
$110,500 a year was the median pay offered in 1,233 certified H-1B filings for jobs in Rhode Island in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), up 0.1% from 2024. The middle half of the offers ranged from $87,000 to $135,000. The US median was $120,000. These are offered pay figures in work-visa filings, not the pay of all workers.
CVS Pharmacy, Inc. (91), Brown University (79), Fidelity Technology Group, LLC d/b/a Fidelity Investments (61), Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (59), Infosys Limited (45) had the most certified H-1B filings for jobs in Rhode Island in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).
Software Developers (414 filings, median $127,812), Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians (127 filings, median $90,000), Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (65 filings, median $95,802) were the largest job groups in certified H-1B filings in Rhode Island in fiscal year 2025.
$126,131 was the median offered pay in Cumberland, the highest among the Rhode Island cities with the most H-1B filings in fiscal year 2025 (73 filings).
$119,873 a year was the median pay offered in 201 certified PERM green card filings for jobs in Rhode Island in fiscal year 2025.
31 disasters and emergencies have been declared for Rhode Island since 1954, 21 of them since 2000 (11 major disasters). The most common type is Hurricane (10 declarations).
Washington, with 18 declarations since 2000, followed by Providence (17) and Kent County (16). Statewide declarations are not counted for single counties.
$139.5 million on 7,026 flood insurance claims since 1978. The biggest year was 2010, with $43.8 million paid on 1,782 claims. Washington County received the most ($51.9 million).
$1,053 a year in 2025, across 11,567 flood insurance policies in Rhode Island. Most homes have no flood insurance; the premium depends on the home's flood risk and coverage.