Moving from Rhode Island to Washington: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Rhode Island to Washington.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from Rhode Island to Washington
Rhode Island has graduated income tax rates up to 5.99% and Washington has no state income tax on wages. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $3,148 in state income tax in Rhode Island and $0 in state income tax in Washington. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $3,148 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,608 a month across Rhode Island's metro areas and $1,352 across Washington's (-15.9%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $53,680 in Rhode Island and $67,499 in Washington. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.
Metropolitan Corridors Between Rhode Island & Washington
Moving from Rhode Island to Washington on a $100,000 salary: pay $3,148 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,352 vs $1,608 a month (HUD.
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $3,148 lower in Washington than in Rhode Island (3.1 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Washington's metros is $1,352 a month, versus $1,608 in Rhode Island (-15.9%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$6,220 a year.
Rhode Island: Graduated Brackets, top rate 5.99%. Washington: No State Income Tax, top rate 0%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.