Cities in Rhode Island where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Ocean state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Rhode Island’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Rhode Island, doxo’s data reveals, pays $2,324 in bills per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 25 cities and towns across Rhode Island, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Rhode Island and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Rhode Island’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Rhode Island residents pay $2,324 in household bills a month
The average Rhode Island household pays $2,324 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Rhode Island residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 11th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Alaska ranks 10th, with annual monthly expenses of $2,335, and New Hampshire ranks 12th, at $2,323.
Rhode Island’s household expenses, on average, are 13.5% higher than the national average of $2,046.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Rhode Island households spend 38% of their income on household bills. Alaska residents, though they spend a higher dollar amount on bills per month, only spend 35% of their income on them.
Annually, Rhode Island residents pay $11 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Rhode Island by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Rhode Island
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,324 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $11 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 11 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
- Difference from the National Average: 13.5% higher
Housing bill category drives Rhode Island’s high monthly bill expenses
The average Rhode Island household pays $2,324 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent expenses drive savings by being slightly lower than the national average, while mortgage does not drive savings. The average mortgage payment in Rhode Island is $1,764, and average rent is $1,123, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.
Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for residents of Rhode Island. Still, these expenses are still lower than the national average. The average auto loan bill in Rhode Island is $461 a month, compared to the national average of $467.
Compared to the national average, utilities are a higher expense for residents of Rhode Island. The average household in the state pays $360 a month for utilities, compared to the national average of $351.
Health insurance is also more expensive in Rhode Island. While US residents on average spend $120 per month on health insurance, in Rhode Island they spend $169.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Rhode Island Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Rhode Island Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Rhode Island Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,764 | $1,321 | 34% higher |
| Rent | $1,123 | $1,191 | 6% lower |
| Auto Loan | $461 | $467 | 1% lower |
| Utilities | $360 | $351 | 3% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $253 | $207 | 22% higher |
| Cable & Internet | $118 | $118 | 0% higher |
| Health Insurance | $115 | $123 | 7% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $117 | $113 | 4% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $83 | $84 | 1% lower |
| Life Insurance | $140 | $89 | 57% higher |
| Total | $2,324 | $2,046 | 13.5% higher |
Barrington tops the list of most expensive cities for Rhode Island’s household bills
Residents of Barrington pay the highest household bills in the state of Rhode Island, at an average of $2,848 per month. East Greenwich comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,826 on average per month.
In proportion to household income, however, Barrington’s bills are more affordable than ones in East Greenwich. While Barrington’s monthly bill basket makes up 27% of average household income there, East Greenwich’s bill basket accounts for 32% of average household income in that area.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Rhode Island Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 25) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Barrington | $2,848 | 27% |
| 2 | East Greenwich | $2,826 | 32% |
| 3 | Portsmouth | $2,592 | 31% |
| 4 | Lincoln | $2,572 | 32% |
| 5 | Middletown | $2,519 | 37% |
| 6 | Newport | $2,505 | 44% |
| 7 | Cranston | $2,420 | 38% |
| 8 | North Kingstown | $2,419 | 33% |
| 9 | Coventry | $2,393 | 34% |
| 10 | Central Falls | $2,384 | 82% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
East Providence is the most affordable Rhode Island city for household bills
Out of 25 cities and towns, East Providence is the most affordable place in Rhode Island, with residents paying $2,104 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 51% of local income there.
Tiverton comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Rhode Island, with residents paying $2,113 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Rhode Island are Narragansett ($2,130 per month), Riverside ($2,138 per month), and Johnston ($2,168 per month).
10 Most Affordable Rhode Island Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (16-25 out of 25) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 16 | West Warwick | $2,286 | 45% |
| 17 | Westerly | $2,271 | 35% |
| 18 | North Providence | $2,252 | 40% |
| 19 | Woonsocket | $2,173 | 59% |
| 20 | Pawtucket | $2,172 | 48% |
| 21 | Johnston | $2,168 | 38% |
| 22 | Riverside | $2,138 | 35% |
| 23 | Narragansett | $2,130 | 32% |
| 24 | Tiverton | $2,113 | 30% |
| 25 | East Providence | $2,104 | 51% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Rhode Island’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.