The map below shows majority race by area in Rhode Island, as self-identified on the US census. Darker shades indicate a larger racial majority in that neighborhood. This page also contains data and maps on Rhode Island racial diversity and diversity scores. Click here to scroll to diversity data.
WhiteHispanicBlackAsianMultiple/Other
Majority race by area
The majority race in Rhode Island overall is white, making up 67.5% of residents. The next most-common racial group is hispanic at 18.1%. There are more white people in the southwest areas of the state. People who identify as hispanic are most likely to be living in the central places. The data below shows how many people identify themselves as each of the following races, which most Americans base on their family's national origin:
Race in Rhode Island
Self-Identified Race |
Rhode Island Population |
|---|---|
White |
67.5% |
Hispanic |
18.1% |
Black |
4.9% |
Asian |
3.5% |
Native American |
0.1% |
Other |
5.8% |
Diversity and Diversity Scores for Rhode Island
The map below shows diversity in Rhode Island. Areas in green are more diverse, while areas in red are much less diverse. Diversity, in this case, means a mixture of people with different race and ethnicity living close to one another. For example, all-black and all-white areas in the state would both be considered lacking diversity.
Less diverse
More diverse
Colorblind friendly
off
Rhode Island Diversity Score
50.4
More diverse than 47% of US states
Rhode Island has a diversity score of 50.4: the chance, in percent, that two residents picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups, from ACS race counts. A place where everyone shares one group scores 0, and an even mix of the six groups in the chart above scores the maximum, 83.3. Rhode Island is about average for diversity versus other US states, more diverse than 47% of them. Within Rhode Island's proper boundaries, the most diverse area is northeast Rhode Island, and the least diverse areas are in southwest Rhode Island.
Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-year estimates (race and Hispanic origin); proprietary data mapping and analysis. Special thanks to the University of Virginia.