Rhode Island Costs Outpace Income Gains as Power Hits 29.46 Cents and Child Poverty Reaches 16.3%
Updated
Updated · The Providence Journal · Aug 10
Rhode Island Costs Outpace Income Gains as Power Hits 29.46 Cents and Child Poverty Reaches 16.3%
1 articles · Updated · The Providence Journal · Aug 10
Summary
Rhode Island’s economy looks stronger than in past years, but residents still face a squeeze as income growth trails neighboring states and basic costs remain unusually high.
Per capita income rose more than $3,200 in 2025, yet the state still lags New England peers; median household income ranked 17th nationally in 2024, helped by transfer payments in an aging state.
Electricity averaged 29.46 cents per kilowatt-hour in May 2026 versus 18.44 cents nationally, and housing costs remain punishing even after power prices eased slightly before new winter rate requests.
Child poverty jumped to 16.3% in 2024 from 13.3% a year earlier, topping the 15.5% national rate; advocates tied the reversal to the end of expanded federal child tax credits.
Unemployment was a relatively low 4.1% in June, but the labor force shrank by 15,700 from a year earlier, underscoring why upbeat headline data have not erased economic pessimism.