Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Wisconsin instead of Rhode Island, you would:
Health
be 19.6% more likely to be obese
In Rhode Island, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Wisconsin, that number is 37.8% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 31.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Rhode Island, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Wisconsin, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.
Safety
be 73.1% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Rhode Island has a violent crime rate of 165 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 286 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 32.9% less for a home
The median home value in Rhode Island is $368,800 as of 2023, compared to $247,400 in Wisconsin as of 2023.
pay 17.9% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Rhode Island is $1,273 as of 2023, while in Wisconsin, it is $1,045 as of 2023.
earn 12.4% less money
The median household income in Rhode Island is $86,372 as of 2023, while in Wisconsin, it is $75,670 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.3 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Rhode Island takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023. In Wisconsin, it takes 22.2 minutes as of 2023.
be 10.0% less likely to be physically inactive
In Rhode Island, 23.9% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Wisconsin, that number is 21.5% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 89.7% less densely populated
Rhode Island has a population density of 407.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 42.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 21.7% less likely to be food insecure
In Rhode Island, 9.2% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Wisconsin, that number is 7.2% as of 2021.
be 23.8% more likely to be uninsured
In Rhode Island, 4.2% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 5.2% as of 2023.
be 17.5% more likely to smoke
In Rhode Island, 13.7% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Wisconsin, that number is 16.1% as of 2022.
be 14.2% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Rhode Island, 26.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 22.3% as of 2023.
be 60.6% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Rhode Island, 6.6% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Wisconsin, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
