Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Rhode Island instead of Wisconsin, you would:
Health
be 16.4% less likely to be obese
In Wisconsin, 37.8% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Rhode Island, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2022.
be 10.9% more likely to have diabetes
In Wisconsin, 9.2% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Rhode Island, that number is 10.2% as of 2022.
Economy
be 46.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Wisconsin, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Rhode Island, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 42.2% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Wisconsin has a violent crime rate of 286 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Rhode Island, that number is 165 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 14.1% more money
The median household income in Wisconsin is $75,670 as of 2023, while in Rhode Island, it is $86,372 as of 2023.
pay 49.1% more for a home
The median home value in Wisconsin is $247,400 as of 2023, compared to $368,800 in Rhode Island as of 2023.
pay 21.8% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Wisconsin is $1,045 as of 2023, while in Rhode Island, it is $1,273 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 19.2% less likely to be uninsured
In Wisconsin, 5.2% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Rhode Island, that number is 4.2% as of 2023.
be 14.9% less likely to smoke
In Wisconsin, 16.1% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Rhode Island, that number is 13.7% as of 2022.
be 16.6% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Wisconsin, 22.3% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Rhode Island, that number is 26.0% as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Wisconsin, 2.6% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Rhode Island, that number is 6.6% as of 2023.
commute 3.3 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Wisconsin takes 22.2 minutes as of 2023. In Rhode Island, it takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023.
be 11.2% more likely to be physically inactive
In Wisconsin, 21.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Rhode Island, that number is 23.9% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 9.7 times more densely populated
Wisconsin has a population density of 42.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Rhode Island, that number is 407.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 27.8% more likely to be food insecure
In Wisconsin, 7.2% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Rhode Island, that number is 9.2% as of 2021.
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
