What it takes to meet basic needs in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Standard of Need provides a realistic picture of what it costs for individuals and families to afford a no-frills life in our state. The 2026 report calculates monthly and annual budgets for housing, food, transportation, health care, child care, and other essentials—and shows that nearly 40% of Rhode Island households may not have enough income to meet their basic needs.

Explore the report’s findings on the cost of living, economic disparities, and the policies that can help move Rhode Island from need to prosperity.

The 2026 Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) The 2026 Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) Infographic

Explore the data

What does it cost to live in your community—and in other communities? Try out the Family Budget Calculator!

The Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator shows what it takes for individuals and families to afford basic necessities—including housing, food, child care, transportation, and health care—in counties and metropolitan areas across the country. Choose a location and household type to explore monthly and annual budgets, compare up to three communities, and better understand the income needed to meet basic needs. The Family Budget Calculator provides the basic needs budget data for the Rhode Island Standard of Need report.

Acknowledgment and Resources

Rhode Island's Economic Progress Institute thanks our national partners at the Economic Policy Institute for granting us permission to embed their Family Budget Calculator on our website. To view the calculator at it's original website, you can visit https://www.epi.org/resources/budget/, and to review the technical documentation, you can visit https://www.epi.org/publication/family-budget-calculator-documentation/. The general website for our national partner is https://www.epi.org/.