Rent Trends / RI
Rent Trends in Rhode Island: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 26 cities in Rhode Island. The average across tracked cities is $2,384/month in 2026, up from $1,102 in 2015 (+116.3%). That sits $419 above (+21.3% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (June 2026)
What the Rhode Island rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Rhode Island from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Rhode Island and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Rhode Island has risen from about $1,684 to $2,384 (+41.6%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +14.8% ($2,076 → $2,384).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Newport (+193.1%, $1,079 → $3,163). 2 of 26 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Rhode Island
Lowest 2026 rents
- Woonsocket — $1,684
- Central Falls — $1,721
- Pawtucket — $1,872
- West Warwick — $1,873
- East Providence — $1,908
Highest 2026 rents
- Jamestown — $3,500
- Portsmouth — $3,378
- Middletown — $3,229
- Newport — $3,163 (+193.1% since 2015)
- Barrington — $3,070
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Rhode Island cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | $1,125 | $1,231 | $1,320 | $1,368 | $1,442 | $1,519 | $1,594 | $1,780 | $1,940 | $2,061 | $2,132 | $2,293 | +103.8% | |
| Cranston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,456 | $1,619 | $1,686 | $1,812 | $2,009 | +38.0% | |
| Pawtucket | — | — | — | — | $1,054 | $1,124 | $1,210 | $1,349 | $1,518 | $1,637 | $1,753 | $1,872 | +77.6% | |
| Warwick | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,703 | $1,752 | $1,892 | $2,051 | $2,220 | +30.4% | |
| East Providence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,479 | $1,588 | $1,703 | $1,817 | $1,908 | +29.0% | |
| Woonsocket | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,186 | $1,302 | $1,454 | $1,518 | $1,684 | +42.0% | |
| Cumberland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,160 | +0.0% | |
| Coventry | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,488 | $2,779 | +11.7% | |
| North Providence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,546 | $1,706 | $1,787 | $1,944 | +25.7% | |
| West Warwick | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,512 | $1,635 | $1,771 | $1,873 | +23.9% | |
| Johnston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,019 | +0.0% | |
| South Kingstown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,303 | $2,400 | $2,713 | +17.8% | |
| Central Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,721 | +0.0% | |
| Westerly | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,785 | $2,000 | +12.0% | |
| Newport | $1,079 | $1,227 | $1,350 | $1,421 | $1,526 | $1,574 | $1,836 | $2,185 | $2,375 | $2,585 | $2,764 | $3,163 | +193.1% | |
| Lincoln | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,167 | +0.0% | |
| Middletown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,908 | $3,229 | +11.0% | |
| Bristol | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,913 | $2,078 | $2,181 | +14.0% | |
| Portsmouth | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,378 | +0.0% | |
| Tiverton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,231 | +0.0% | |
| Barrington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,070 | +0.0% | |
| East Greenwich | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,858 | +0.0% | |
| Narragansett | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,653 | +0.0% | |
| North Smithfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,293 | +0.0% | |
| Warren | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,063 | +0.0% | |
| Jamestown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,500 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Rhode Island rent
Is Rhode Island cheap to rent in 2026?
Not compared with the U.S. overall. The average rent across 26 tracked Rhode Island cities is about $2,384/month — $419 above (+21.3% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. Cheaper pockets still exist inside the state; sort the table by 2026 rent to find them.
What city in Rhode Island has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Woonsocket is the lowest at about $1,684/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Central Falls ($1,721), Pawtucket ($1,872), West Warwick ($1,873).
What city in Rhode Island has the most expensive rent?
Jamestown leads our sample at about $3,500/month in 2026, followed by Portsmouth ($3,378) and Middletown ($3,229).
How much have rents in Rhode Island changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $1,102 in 2015 to $2,384 in 2026 (+116.3%). 2 of 26 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Newport (+193.1%).
Are rents in Rhode Island still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Rhode Island cities went from about $2,076 to $2,384 (+14.8%). Since 2023 ($1,684), that is +41.6%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.