Rhode Island
High tax burden · COL index 114
Wins 5 categories
West Virginia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 82
Wins 11 categories
Cost of living in Rhode Island (index 114) runs 39% higher than West Virginia (index 82). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Rhode Island averages 1.3% annually vs West Virginia's 0.57%. The median home in Rhode Island costs $430K vs $155K in West Virginia. Politically, West Virginia voted Republican in 2024 (R+36.0) while Rhode Island went Democratic (D+17.0).
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Healthcare
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Utilities & Daily Costs
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Category wins
5
Rhode Island
11
West Virginia
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Since the Great Depression, Rhode Island politics have been dominated by the Rhode Island Democratic Party, and the state is considered part of the Democrats' "Blue Wall." Democrats have won all but four presidential elections since 1928, with the exceptions being 1952, 1956, 1972, and 1984.