Moving to Rhode Island from Delaware

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Delaware to Rhode Island — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Delaware to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 8.5% more expensive than Delaware. A $75,000 salary in Delaware would need to be roughly $86,444 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Delaware to Rhode Island.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $86,444

To maintain the same standard of living in Rhode Island

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 15.9% more

Groceries

pay 18.5% more

Transportation

pay 33.3% more

Housing

pay 23.1% more

Childcare

pay 17.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 13.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Delaware to Rhode Island.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

DE
370
RI
165
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

DE
1831
RI
1102

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Delaware across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

DE
5.8%
RI
4.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

DE
38.4%
RI
31.6%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Delaware across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

DE
$326,800
RI
$368,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

DE
$1,341
RI
$1,273

Delaware generally does better on what about housing?, though Rhode Island leads in median rent.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

DE
91.5%
RI
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

DE
26 min
RI
26 min

Delaware generally does better on infrastructure, though Rhode Island leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

DE
5.1%
RI
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

DE
$80,523
RI
$56,938

Delaware generally does better on employment & economy, though Rhode Island leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

DE
76.7 yrs
RI
78.2 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

DE
24%
RI
26%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Delaware across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dover Rain: 46.1 in/yr (1170 mm)
66° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Providence Rain: 47.2 in/yr (1198 mm)
61° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dover Providence
Jan–Mar 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/54°F (24°/12°C) 68°/49°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/65°F (29°/18°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/40°F (15°/4°C) 53°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Dover Providence
Jan 43°/27°F (6.3°/-2.7°C) 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C)
Feb 47°/29°F (8.3°/-1.7°C) 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C)
Mar 55°/36°F (12.7°/2.0°C) 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C)
Apr 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.8°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C)
May 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C)
Jun 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.4°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C)
Jul 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.2°C) 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C)
Aug 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.4°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C)
Sep 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.6°C) 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C)
Oct 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C)
Nov 58°/40°F (14.7°/4.3°C) 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C)
Dec 47°/31°F (8.6°/-0.6°C) 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Rhode Island than Delaware?

No — Rhode Island is on average about 15% more expensive than Delaware. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Rhode Island?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,611 in Rhode Island on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Rhode Island safe?

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Delaware across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Delaware?

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Delaware across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Rhode Island compared to Delaware?

The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 66°F in Dover. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Dover gets 46.1 in.

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