2024 Rhode Island Standard of Need

Many Rhode Islanders’ wages are too low to meet basic living costs such as housing, food, healthcare, and child care. For 25 years, EPI has documented how hard it is for many people to make ends meet in our organization’s signature research report, titled the Rhode Island Standard of Need. The 25th anniversary edition of this report delves into topics like economic security (or insecurity, as the case may be), household earnings, work support programs, and many others. For the first time, the Rhode Island Standard of Need report also explores the genuine geographical differences in the cost of a “basic needs” budget county by county. Through it and other research, EPI aims to give policymakers and the public objective information with which to pursue and achieve a shared prosperity.