I’m a Hoosier who moved to RI last year. The cost of living here is outrageous compared to Indiana, but I think Rhode Island makes up for it. The beaches here are amazing, I went several times this summer. I live in Providence and it’s cooler than any city in Indiana. Providence has a larger city feel while being small enough to walk to almost any point in the city within 30-45 minutes. My favorite thing though, and I think the biggest difference from Indiana, is how quickly and easily I can get to a lot of cool places. I’ve taken the train to Boston a few times and to NYC. I’ve driven to Cape Cod for a short trip, and we’re also a weekend trip away from the Berkshires, the White Mountains, the coast of Maine, etc. I love that driving 3-6 hours here can get me to some place really cool, while 3-6 hours from most points in Indiana can pretty much just get you to another part of Indiana. There are just a ton of cool things in this area.

I love it here. It's a beautiful place. It's especially good for people who love the water. It's expensive, especially if you want to live in one of the better school districts, but for me life is good.

Rhode island has amazing beaches, so many excellent restaurants, mansions in Newport, polo, handsome statehouse, great plays/theaters, Waterfire, free lectures at an Ivy League university, and more. It’s an amazing place. Flamingos at the zoo. Bike paths too.

Just be aware, there are traffic jams (beaches, Providence, and Newport) and there are fierce rivalries in the workplace and between towns. It’s intense. Holding grudges is sport. I lived in 7 states. No other compares to RI for rivalries and grudges. That’s probably not mentioned on the promo videos.

I moved back to RI after 10 years in CA and I feel like I’m living life at a discount. Never complain about RI traffic until you have lived in CA.

> plan on possibly picking up an assignment there when I’m eligible for travel nursing to catch a glimpse of what it’s like.

That sounds like the ideal situation, honestly. Stay long enough to get a good feel for the place, and in your spare time spend a day here and there around the state to see what invites you. Hear from your colleagues where they recommend you live, price- and availability-wise.

I'm a Massachusetts transplant and I love it here.

Good luck 🍀

Moved here 16 years ago. Love it here, wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, well maybe California with a big bag of money.

Thank you all for your input. I greatly appreciate it. Is RI pretty LGBTQ friendly?

Coming from the Midwest, your jaw will drop with the prices of some things. Just be prepared for that. Utilities are crazy high, so is property tax. In New England everyone has to get their cut.

I moved 8 years ago to Rhode Island from the far off distance of Connecticut and it has been great. Love the state and the character it has, Providence is awesome and is my favorite city, and the beaches/coastline is beautiful.

It is New England so people are kind not nice up here, so don't expect us to have a conversation with you in the checkout line. Things are expensive but salaries are pretty good. Things are not as expensive as Boston.

If you can understand the language, I'd say yes.

The cost of living is high and the taxes are even higher, however there are jobs out here and commuting from Rhode Island to neighboring Massachusetts or Connecticut opens up even more opportunities. The southern half of the State is notably quieter if you enjoy the woods, the middle is a big of a mix, larger city but still spread out, and northern Rhode Island with the city and outside Providence areas. No matter where you live, there are 420 miles of coastline to explore, rocky shores to Sandy beaches. Winters can be blah in New England, but Rhode Island being on the coast doesn’t see the large amounts of snowfall they they get up north. Oh, we have terrible roads, I know what’s in a name?

Hey Op, most people seem to have the whole quality of life thing covered, so I will cover the other aspects.

I am not in healthcare, but many of my friends are and in New England I was told by a doctor that you "can't extend your arms without hitting another doctor" and that, all things considered, the wages were lower here despite the cost of living because there are a lot of healthcare jobs and schools out here.

I'm not sure how nursing pay compares to Indiana, but I do know that a lot of RI nurses complain about the pay being low relative to MA. Lately, I see MA nurses complain because the cost of living is still so high in MA and they pay way lower than other areas like CA at similar rents. So, take of it what you will. I'm not sure how far you will need to commute to feel that your pay is commensurate with your cost of living, but I have to imagine 30 minutes to truly be in another pay rate.

Also worth mentioning that an in person field like nursing has some quality of life elements to it. MA overall has way better unions and workers protections than Indiana. Rhode Island now has a giant monopoly merger for all of its healthcare so I don't know how people feel about that currently in nursing.

When you're here, talk to nurses. And not just the older ones with homes they bought in 1982, but the younger ones who are still renting and current on CoL.

You’ll have to make it your own. Lots of people are going to say they love it (I’m one of them), lots will say it’s a corrupt liberal shit hole that’s too expensive. One thing I can say is that nurses do really well here. Between Providence and Boston, there are tons of hospitals. We have all four seasons. The ocean is gorgeous and the mountains are only a few hours away. NYC is a short train ride away and the countryside is closer. Summers are hot, but bearable. Winters get cold, but livable. Just be ready to be outgoing when it comes to making friends. There’s a saying, The East is nice but not polite. We’ll tell you to fuck off for getting in the way, but we’ll go out of our way to help a neighbor when they’re down.

We have a very robust healthcare system and we have Brown medical school. You will have a lot of interesting employment opportunities

My sister is a nurse and has traveled all over the country. She has recently worked in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She tells me the pay for nurses in hospitals is significantly higher in MA than RI.

I've lived in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In addition to travel nursing, you could also consider applying to RN positions at the VA in Providence. Since it is federal, you only need a license in one of the states or territories. The VA also pays nurses well (Nurse Practitioners are another story - depending on specialty). The Providence VAMC also has a nurse residency where you rotate through different areas of the hospital to gain more skills and most people are able to be employed within the hospital by the end of it.

Overall views on the state seem to already be covered. Yes, it is more expensive than Indiana, but salaries are higher. I tend to find the housing market is much more expensive and not in line even with salary increases. Also, some parts of the state are more affordable than others. People tend to want to live in the metropolitan Providence area, so as you move to more secluded areas, prices tend to drop. Even "secluded" areas are within 30-45 minutes of essentially everything. We are spoiled with how close we are to so many different things. As someone mentioned before, you can travel 3 hours north and be in the White Mountains of NH. About three hours south, you can be in NYC. One hour ride or train from Boston (also an option if you're open to doing 3 12 hr shifts, they make more money). There are great beaches and seafood. About an hour south there is Yawgoo mountain - small but big enough for learning to ski/snowboard and snow tubing. The ocean is EVERYWHERE.

If you have a family, sure I guess. If not, you might prefer Mass.