HousingWorks RI at Roger Williams University Releases 2026 Housing Fact Book
The annual report examines rising housing costs, increased development activity, and the need for consistent investment in affordable housing across Rhode Island.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Despite an increase in housing development activity, homeownership, and renting remain out of reach for many Rhode Islanders, according to the 2026 Housing Fact Book released Oct. 23 by HousingWorks RI (HWRI) at Roger Williams University.
More than one-third of Rhode Island households spend over 30% of their income on housing, the threshold used to identify households as cost burdened. The report also examines increased housing production, the needs of older adults, and the state's approach to funding affordable housing.
In 2025, the median single-family home price rose 5.3% from the previous year to $499,900, while the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment increased 1.8% to $2,358.
Those costs remain beyond what households earning the state's median homeowner and renter incomes can afford. The report found that a household earning the median homeowner income of $115,286 could not affordably purchase the median-priced home in any Rhode Island municipality. Similarly, the median renter household income of $50,251 falls short of what is needed to affordably rent an average-priced two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the state.
The gap between housing costs and incomes is reflected in the number of households facing financial strain. Of the 148,766 Rhode Island households spending more than 30% of their income on housing, 65,649 spend more than half, placing them in the severely cost-burdened category. Nearly half of renter households are cost burdened, including 80% of renters in the lowest income group.
Increased Development, Continued Investment Needs
Rhode Island issued permits for 3,778 housing units in 2025, a 34% increase from 2024. Of those, 2,698 permits were for units in developments with two or more attached homes, a 60% increase from the previous year.Municipalities also reported 287 permitted accessory dwelling units, up 76% from 2024.
The increase follows legislative efforts to encourage residential development, including more than 60 bills passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly in recent years. However, the report notes that permits do not represent completed homes and that projects can take years to become available to residents.
Alongside efforts to increase housing production, HousingWorks RI identifies the lack of a permanent, predictable funding source as a continuing challenge for affordable housing development.
“Despite recent progress at the state level, Rhode Island continues to underinvest in state spending on housing and homelessness relative to our neighboring states,” said Brenda Clement, executive director of HousingWorks RI at RWU.
In its comparison of state budget funding for housing and homelessness across New England, HousingWorks RI ranks Rhode Island fourth among the six states on a per-capita basis. Rhode Island's reported figure of $25.18 per resident is substantially lower than Connecticut's $150.07 and Massachusetts' $204.05.
“We must do more to ensure the wellbeing of all Rhode Islanders, at every income level,” Clement said.
The report also examines how housing development can be better connected to public transportation. Its regional analyses consider residential zoning near transit stops and commercial corridors, highlighting opportunities to expand housing near jobs and existing infrastructure.
Housing Conditions and Changing Needs
This year's Fact Book also examines how Rhode Island's aging housing stock affects residents, particularly older adults who may need more accessible living arrangements.
About 70% of Rhode Island households, or more than 310,000, live in homes built before 1980. The report uses the age of housing as an indicator of potential health and safety concerns, including lead exposure, accessibility limitations, and indoor air quality.
Among Rhode Islanders age 80 and older, 37% have an ambulatory disability, which can make walking or climbing stairs difficult. The report also found that 63% of households headed by someone in that age group consist of one person living alone.
As residents' needs change, alternative living arrangements may offer additional options. The number of multigenerational households in Rhode Island increased 32% between 2019 and 2024, while recent changes to accessory dwelling unit legislation have expanded opportunities for residents to live near family members or others in their communities.
The report also identifies some improvements in housing insecurity. Eviction filings for nonpayment of rent declined nearly 17% in 2025 to 4,797, the lowest annual total since 2015.
Rhode Island's annual point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness decreased 6% from 2025 to 2026. The count measures people experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness on a single night in January. Despite the decline, the 2026 total remained more than twice the 2019 count, while the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness was nearly seven times the pre-pandemic figure.
HousingWorks RI's Oct. 23 release of the 2026 Housing Fact Book includes a breakfast event at the Providence Marriott Downtown, bringing together community partners, industry leaders, and elected officials to discuss the report's findings.
The 2026 Housing Fact Book is available through HousingWorks RI.