Moving to Rhode Island from Texas

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Texas to Rhode Island, you would find that Rhode Island is 18.2% more expensive than Texas. A $75,000 salary in Texas would need to be roughly $95,690 in Rhode Island to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Providence averages 61°F vs 79°F in Austin, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $95,690

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 12.4% more

Groceries

pay 32.6% more

Transportation

pay 21.6% more

Housing

pay 30.4% more

Childcare

pay 32.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 22.9% 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 Texas to Rhode Island.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TX
391
RI
165
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

TX
2153
RI
1102

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

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

TX
16.0%
RI
4.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TX
36.8%
RI
31.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

TX
$260,400
RI
$368,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

TX
$1,339
RI
$1,273

Rhode Island generally does better on what about housing?, though Texas leads in median home value.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

TX
90.1%
RI
90.8%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

TX
27 min
RI
26 min

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Texas across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TX
3.9%
RI
4.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TX
$70,071
RI
$56,938

Texas generally does better on employment & economy, though Rhode Island leads in median household income.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

TX
76.5 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

TX
20%
RI
26%

Rhode Island performs significantly better than Texas 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.

Austin Rain: 36.2 in/yr (920 mm)
79° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Austin Providence
Jan–Mar 65°/40°F (18°/5°C) 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 68°/49°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 93°/70°F (34°/21°C) 79°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) 53°/35°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Austin Providence
Jan 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C) 37°/21°F (3.0°/-6.1°C)
Feb 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C) 40°/24°F (4.6°/-4.7°C)
Mar 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C) 48°/30°F (8.8°/-1.1°C)
Apr 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.2°C)
May 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.2°C)
Jun 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C) 78°/58°F (25.3°/14.7°C)
Jul 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C) 83°/64°F (28.2°/17.9°C)
Aug 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.3°C)
Sep 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C) 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.9°C)
Oct 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C) 63°/44°F (17.4°/6.6°C)
Nov 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C) 53°/36°F (11.8°/2.1°C)
Dec 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°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 Texas?

No — Rhode Island is on average about 28% more expensive than Texas. 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 $23,922 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 Texas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Rhode Island compared to Texas?

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

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

The average high temperature in Providence is 61°F, compared to 79°F in Austin. Providence receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Austin gets 36.2 in.

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