Health Profile of Rhode Island
Rhode Island Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A
Rhode Island Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Healthiest and Least Healthy Counties in Rhode Island
- Bristol County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Washington County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Newport County (104% of U.S. avg)
- Providence County (102% of U.S. avg)
- Kent County (103% of U.S. avg)
- Newport County (104% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Health Index, which combines life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment.
General Health Overview
| Metric | Rhode Island | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 4.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Rhode Island is 79.9 years, about 1.6 years longer than the US average of 78.3 years. The uninsured rate is 4.4%, lower than the US average of 8.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.6% of residents, lower than the US average of 16.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
408,142 residents in Rhode Island are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 24,816 7,738 men · 17,078 women
- 75–84 57,211 23,768 men · 33,443 women
- 65–74 104,288 48,623 men · 55,665 women
- 50–64 221,827 108,092 men · 113,735 women
Younger residents
201,549 residents in Rhode Island are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 63,035 33,394 boys · 29,641 girls
- 7–12 59,424 30,248 boys · 29,176 girls
- 3–7 45,588 22,744 boys · 22,844 girls
- 0–3 33,501 16,950 boys · 16,552 girls
About 49,586 residents in Rhode Island (4.5% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Rhode Island | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 9.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 27.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Rhode Island is about 21% lower than in US. The rate of obesity in Rhode Island is about 19% lower than in US. The rate of heart disease in Rhode Island is about 16% lower than in US.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Rhode Island | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14.8% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.1% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Rhode Island is about 24% lower than in US. The rate of smoking in Rhode Island is about 22% lower than in US.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 39.6 million a month, or 482.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 14.5 million minutes a day and 5.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rhode Island is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.35 lifetimes a day, or 126 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Rhode Island | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.30 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Rhode Island is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Rhode Island Health Compared With Nearby States
Rhode Island is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 1,100,398 residents against a local median of 3,347,044. Where Rhode Island breaks from the states next to it is uninsured, sitting 16% below the local median of 5.3% at 4.4%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread 4.9% on uninsured, so Rhode Island sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rhode Island has the 3rd lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 1,100,398 | 79.9 yrs #5/6 | 4.4% #3/6 | 27.6% #2/6 |
| Massachusetts | 7,031,620 | 80.5 yrs | 2.6% | 25.6% |
| Connecticut | 3,347,044 | 80.1 yrs | 5.3% | 30.1% |
| New Hampshire | 1,394,471 | 80.2 yrs | 5.3% | 31.3% |
| Vermont | 646,793 | 80.8 yrs | 3.9% | 28.8% |
| New Jersey | 9,334,304 | 79.4 yrs | 7.5% | 28.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Rhode Island has an overall health index grade of A, making it notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Rhode Island.
What is the health grade for Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Rhode Island one of the healthiest states in the U.S.?
Rhode Island ranks 4th healthiest out of 51 states in the U.S. by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the average lifespan in Rhode Island?
People in Rhode Island can expect to live 79.9 years on average, 1.6 years longer than the US average of 78.3.
How many people lack health insurance in Rhode Island?
4.4% of residents in Rhode Island have no health insurance, about 1 in 23 people, 4.0 points below the US rate of 8.4%.
How common is obesity in Rhode Island?
27.6% of adults in Rhode Island are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 6.7 points below the US rate of 34.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Rhode Island go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.3 million cigarettes a day, 39.6 million a month, or 482.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 14.5 million minutes a day and 5.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Rhode Island is 79.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.35 lifetimes a day, or 126 lifetimes a year.
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