Moving from Rhode Island to Wyoming
Moving to Wyoming on the same salary raises your real buying power by 16.3%. Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in WY: $71,300
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $71,300 in Wyoming to match $85,000 in Rhode Island ($13,700 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $85,000 | Rhode Island | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $9,870 | $9,870 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,503 | $6,503 |
| State income tax | $2,571 | $0 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $935 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $65,122 | $68,628 |
Key facts: Rhode Island to Wyoming
- Median rent
- $1,418 → $998/mo
- Median home value
- $455,700 → $339,500
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 102.3 → 92.7
- Road distance
- ≈ 2,110 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Above average → About average
What changes when you move to Wyoming
- Wyoming has no state income tax on wages. At $85,000 you'd stop paying about $2,571 a year in Rhode Island income tax.
- BEA's housing price index is 33% lower in Wyoming. Median rent goes from $1,418 to $998 a month and the median home value from $455,700 to $339,500.
- Homeowners pay less property tax: the median bill is $1,947 in Wyoming vs $4,886 in Rhode Island.
- The average home electric bill is $108 a month in Wyoming vs $162 in Rhode Island (EIA 2024), about $657 a year less.
Cost to move from Rhode Island to Wyoming
Moving cost: $1,330–$17,140
Moving about 2,110 miles from Rhode Island to Wyoming costs roughly $1,330 – $17,140, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $1,330 – $6,350 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $2,220 – $6,270 |
| Full-service movers Packing, loading, transport and unloading. | $3,520 – $17,140 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 211 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from Rhode Island to Wyoming
Car shipping: $1,300–$1,880
Shipping a sedan from Rhode Island to Wyoming on an open carrier costs about $1,300–$1,880, typically 5–10 days in transit over about 2,110 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Rhode Island vs Wyoming take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in WY | Take-home change | Take-home in RI | Take-home in WY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $43,000 | +$1,808 | $40,547 | $42,355 |
| $75,000 | $63,300 | +$3,021 | $58,572 | $61,593 |
| $100,000 | $84,000 | +$4,248 | $74,932 | $79,180 |
| $150,000 | $125,600 | +$6,623 | $107,168 | $113,791 |
| $250,000 | $208,500 | +$11,957 | $171,225 | $183,182 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
At higher incomes, especially for homeowners, itemizing state and local taxes (deductible up to $40,400 in 2026) can lower your federal tax while you live in Rhode Island, which narrows the gap shown.
Cost of living: Rhode Island vs Wyoming
| Measure | Rhode Island | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 102.3 | 92.7 |
| Housing price index | 105.6 | 71.1 |
| Utilities price index | 146.7 | 78.4 |
| Goods price index | 97.2 | 95.4 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,418 | $998 |
| Median home value | $455,700 | $339,500 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $4,886 | $1,947 |
| Electricity (residential) | 29.23¢/kWh | 15.24¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 7% | 4% |
| Median household income | $83,504 | $75,532 |
Renting and buying: Rhode Island vs Wyoming
| Measure | Rhode Island | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $56,720 | $39,920 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,969 | $2,099 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $127,223 | $89,976 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,778 | $1,672 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $18,486 | $12,784 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in Wyoming for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Rhode Island vs Wyoming
On an $85,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $48,566 a year in Rhode Island and $45,860 in Wyoming if you rent: $2,706 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $67,172 and $59,077 ($8,095 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | RI | WY | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $85,000, single filer | $19,878 | $16,373 | -$3,505 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,949 | $1,292 | -$657 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,540 | $948 | -$592 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,111 | $2,191 | +$80 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,072 | $13,080 | +$7,008 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $17,016 | $11,976 | -$5,040 |
| Total if you rent | $48,566 | $45,860 | -$2,706 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $28,958 | $21,574 | -$7,384 |
| Property tax median home | $4,886 | $1,947 | -$2,939 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,778 | $1,672 | -$106 |
| Total if you buy | $67,172 | $59,077 | -$8,095 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $18,486 a year in Rhode Island and $12,784 in Wyoming (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Cost of living in Wyoming cities: Cheyenne.
After you arrive in Wyoming
- Wyoming new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Rhode Island and Wyoming.
- How Wyoming taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in Wyoming to live like I do in Rhode Island?
An $85,000 salary in Rhode Island works out to about $71,300 in Wyoming once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $84,000.
Will I pay less tax in Wyoming than in Rhode Island?
Yes, about $3,506 less a year in income and payroll taxes on an $85,000 salary (23.4% of pay in Rhode Island vs 19.3% in Wyoming). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Rhode Island to Wyoming?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 2,110 miles, expect roughly $1,330–$6,350 with a rental truck, $2,220–$6,270 with a moving container, or $3,520–$17,140 with full-service movers.
Is Wyoming cheaper than Rhode Island?
Overall prices in Wyoming are 9.4% lower than Rhode Island (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $998 vs $1,418 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from Rhode Island actually move
- RI to Massachusetts 5,218 households
- RI to Florida 2,235 households
- RI to Connecticut 1,769 households
- RI to New York 1,322 households
- RI to California 754 households
- RI to Texas 560 households
- RI to North Carolina 536 households
- RI to Virginia 458 households