Rent Trends / RI
Rent Trends in Rhode Island: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 25 cities in Rhode Island. The average across tracked cities is $2,342/month in 2026, up from $1,104 in 2015 (+112.1%). That sits $380 above (+19.4% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,962 (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 ($1,962/month in June 2026, up from $1,357 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Rhode Island has risen from about $1,688 to $2,342 (+38.7%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +12.7% ($2,078 → $2,342).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Newport (+187.7%, $1,097 → $3,156). 2 of 25 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 — $1,685
- Central Falls — $1,694
- West Warwick — $1,824
- North Providence — $1,896
- Johnston — $1,910
Highest 2026 rents
- Middletown — $3,214
- Newport — $3,156 (+187.7% since 2015)
- Portsmouth — $3,104
- Barrington — $3,052
- Coventry — $2,795
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 | $1,110 | $1,215 | $1,303 | $1,351 | $1,425 | $1,500 | $1,573 | $1,759 | $1,916 | $2,038 | $2,109 | $2,281 | +105.5% | |
| Cranston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,510 | $1,684 | $1,758 | $1,888 | $2,102 | +39.2% | |
| Pawtucket | — | — | — | — | $1,074 | $1,144 | $1,232 | $1,373 | $1,547 | $1,665 | $1,787 | $1,912 | +78.0% | |
| Warwick | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,675 | $1,721 | $1,860 | $2,009 | $2,179 | +30.1% | |
| East Providence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,518 | $1,627 | $1,749 | $1,862 | $1,961 | +29.2% | |
| Woonsocket | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,186 | $1,306 | $1,458 | $1,517 | $1,685 | +42.1% | |
| Cumberland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,230 | +0.0% | |
| Coventry | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,411 | $2,795 | +15.9% | |
| North Providence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,501 | $1,658 | $1,734 | $1,896 | +26.3% | |
| West Warwick | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,495 | $1,613 | $1,744 | $1,824 | +22.0% | |
| Johnston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,910 | +0.0% | |
| South Kingstown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,199 | $2,271 | $2,559 | +16.4% | |
| North Kingstown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,465 | +0.0% | |
| Central Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,694 | +0.0% | |
| Westerly | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,767 | $2,033 | +15.1% | |
| Newport | $1,097 | $1,243 | $1,371 | $1,441 | $1,546 | $1,596 | $1,855 | $2,210 | $2,397 | $2,617 | $2,791 | $3,156 | +187.7% | |
| Lincoln | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,267 | +0.0% | |
| Middletown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,897 | $3,214 | +10.9% | |
| Bristol | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,122 | $2,305 | $2,401 | +13.1% | |
| Portsmouth | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,104 | +0.0% | |
| Barrington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $3,052 | +0.0% | |
| East Greenwich | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,675 | +0.0% | |
| Narragansett | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,748 | +0.0% | |
| North Smithfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,293 | +0.0% | |
| Warren | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,119 | +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 25 tracked Rhode Island cities is about $2,342/month — $380 above (+19.4% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962. 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 $1,685/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Central Falls ($1,694), West Warwick ($1,824), North Providence ($1,896).
What city in Rhode Island has the most expensive rent?
Middletown leads our sample at about $3,214/month in 2026, followed by Newport ($3,156) and Portsmouth ($3,104).
How much have rents in Rhode Island changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $1,104 in 2015 to $2,342 in 2026 (+112.1%). 2 of 25 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Newport (+187.7%).
Are rents in Rhode Island still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Rhode Island cities went from about $2,078 to $2,342 (+12.7%). Since 2023 ($1,688), that is +38.7%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.