Rhode Island sits at the bottom of a new national housing report card, highlighting the state’s ongoing struggles with affordability and homebuilding.
The report, released by Realtor.com®, grades all 50 states on how well they’re tackling housing challenges through affordability measures and new construction.
Rhode Island gets an F grade and ranks 51st overall, including D.C., with a total score of just 12.2 out of 100.
The state’s median home listing price is $537,521, while the median household income is $80,791. This gap contributes to Rhode Island’s low REALTORS® Affordability Score of 0.47.
The report also shows that Rhode Island accounts for only 0.1% of construction permits issued in 2024, despite making up 0.3% of the U.S. population.
Nearby Massachusetts doesn’t do much better, ranking 50th with a score of 12.6. Other Northeast states, including New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, also get low marks.
On the flip side, South Carolina tops the list with an A grade, followed by Iowa and Texas with A- grades.
The report is part of Realtor.com’s “Let America Build” campaign, which pushes for quick policy changes to boost housing supply and improve affordability across the country.
The study stresses the need for smarter zoning, faster permitting, and incentives for home construction to address the nationwide shortage of over 4 million homes.
