Rhode Island covers 1,045 square miles, with a 2019 estimated population of 1,059,361 people (USDA-ERS). Providence is the state capital. The state's largest cities are Providence, Warwick and Cranston. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 83.6% of the state's population is white, 8.5% is African-American, 3.7% is Asian, 1.1% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.2% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 16.3% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Rhode Island Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of January 2021 Rhode Island had:

• No Critical Access Hospitals
• No Rural Health Clinics
• 4 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of Urbanized Areas
• No short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rhode Island

4.3% of Rhode Island residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2019). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Rhode Island residents in 2019 was $56,361. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the state-wide poverty rate is 11.6%. 11.2% of the population has not completed high school according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in Rhode Island is 3.6% (USDA-ERS, 2019).

Rhode Island Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
Phone: 401.222.5952
Email: Margaret.Gradie@health.ri.gov
An office of the Division of Policy, Information and Communications under the Rhode Island Department of Health addressing health disparities created by a lack of access to quality healthcare due to financial, cultural, and geographic barriers.
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