FreedomRankings

Ranked #35 of 50 states

Recreational marijuana legalStrong press shield lawFounded on religious freedom

Across the hybrid multi-source index, Rhode Island is roughly average in overall freedom, ranking #35 of 50 states with a score of 54.1/100. Its strongest areas are drug policy, criminal justice, 1st amendment, while it scores lowest in 4th amendment, economic freedom, 2nd amendment.

best
9.5
average
5.4
worst
1.4
54.1
Grade C-
0255075100
FDCBA
Rhode Island’s overall score on the national 0–100 scale.
Strongest categories
Drug Policy9.5
Criminal Justice8.4
1st Amendment7.0
Weakest categories
2nd Amendment1.4
Economic Freedom1.8
4th Amendment4.5

Score by category

How Rhode Island performs in each freedom category, ranked best to worst.

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Category breakdown

Each score is drawn from the publisher listed on the tile. Hover the source chip for edition and methodology detail.

1st Amendment

7.0B
Press shield lawsAnti-SLAPP protectionsPublic forum protectionsCampus speech policies+2 more

2nd Amendment

1.4F

Guns & Ammo 2023 — rank 43/50

Constitutional/permitless carryConcealed carry shall-issue vs may-issueAssault weapon restrictionsMagazine capacity limits+3 more

4th Amendment

4.5D+

IJ Policing for Profit 2025 — forfeiture grade D-

Civil asset forfeiture protectionsWarrant requirements for digital dataSurveillance camera/drone restrictionsLicense plate reader policies+2 more

Economic Freedom

1.8F

Fraser EFNA 2024 (Overall subn score 5.57 for 2023) — rank 41/50

State income tax ratesSales tax ratesProperty tax burdenBusiness tax climate+3 more

Criminal Justice

8.4A-

Vera People in Prison 2024 — rank 9/50 (212/100k)

Incarceration rate per capitaPolice accountability measuresBail reformMandatory minimum sentencing+3 more

Drug Policy

9.5A+

Cannabis status 2025 — Fully Legal (recreational use legal, retail sales operating)

Recreational marijuana legalityMedical marijuana programDecriminalization of possessionDrug court availability+2 more

Property Rights

5.0C-

IJ Eminent Domain 2025 — post-Kelo protections D

Eminent domain protectionsZoning flexibilityRent control restrictionsBuilding code burden+2 more

Religious Liberty

5.0C-
State RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act)Conscience protections for professionalsReligious organization exemptionsReligious land use protections+2 more

Education Choice

4.8D+

EdChoice ABCs 2025 — non-universal, 1 program — top program covers 39% of students

School voucher programsEducation savings accounts (ESAs)Charter school availabilityHomeschool regulation level+2 more

Regulatory Burden

6.7B-

Mercatus RegData 2024 — rank 17/48 (96,469 restrictions)

Occupational licensing requirementsBusiness licensing burdenRegulatory code volumePermit processing times+2 more

Provenance

Sources & methodology

Full methodology →

  • 1st Amendment

    FreedomRankings Editorial (no strong annual state-level source exists for 1st Amendment speech protections)

    7.0

  • 2nd Amendment

    Guns & Ammo "Best States for Gun Owners"

    1.4

  • 4th Amendment

    Institute for Justice -- "Policing for Profit" (asset forfeiture grades)

    4.5

  • Economic Freedom

    Fraser Institute -- Economic Freedom of North America (EFNA)

    1.8

  • Criminal Justice

    Vera Institute -- "People in Prison" (annual incarceration data)

    8.4

  • Drug Policy

    Per-state cannabis legality status (composite: NORML state pages, DISA legality map, NCSL medical cannabis tracker)

    9.5

  • Property Rights

    Institute for Justice -- Eminent Domain / Castle Coalition

    5.0

  • Religious Liberty

    FreedomRankings Editorial (no strong annual state-level source exists for religious liberty rankings)

    5.0

  • Education Choice

    EdChoice -- "ABCs of School Choice"

    4.8

  • Regulatory Burden

    Mercatus Center -- RegData state regulatory restrictions

    6.7

Frequently Asked

Rhode Island Freedom — Common Questions

Answers are generated from Rhode Island's actual category scores and rank. Toggle the source to recompute against a different dataset.

How does Rhode Island rank among US states for freedom?

Rhode Island ranks #35 of 50 US states with a freedom score of 54.1/100. The score is a weighted average of 10 categories — constitutional rights, economic freedom, criminal justice, drug policy, education choice, and more — drawn from the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index (Fraser Institute, EdChoice, Institute for Justice, Vera Institute, NORML, Mercatus RegData, Guns & Ammo).

What are Rhode Island's strongest freedoms?

Rhode Island scores highest in Drug Policy (9.5/10), Criminal Justice (8.4/10), and 1st Amendment (7/10). These are the categories where Rhode Island is most protective of individual liberty relative to other US states.

What are Rhode Island's biggest freedom restrictions?

Rhode Island scores lowest in 2nd Amendment (1.4/10), Economic Freedom (1.8/10), and 4th Amendment (4.5/10). These are the categories where Rhode Island is most restrictive relative to other US states.

Is Rhode Island a gun-friendly state?

Rhode Island scores 1.4/10 on Second Amendment / gun rights, which places it among the strictest firearms regimes in the United States. This score reflects carry laws, permit requirements, magazine and assault-weapon restrictions, red flag laws, and castle doctrine / stand-your-ground protections.

How does Rhode Island score on economic freedom and taxes?

Rhode Island scores 1.8/10 on economic freedom, placing it among the most restrictive states for economic freedom. The score reflects state income-tax rates, sales and property taxes, business tax climate, right-to-work status, and the overall regulatory burden on economic activity.

What is Rhode Island's drug policy score?

Rhode Island scores 9.5/10 on drug policy, which makes it among the most permissive drug-policy regimes in the country. The score incorporates recreational and medical marijuana legality, decriminalization of possession, harm-reduction programs, and sentencing for drug offenses.

How does Rhode Island rank for school choice and education freedom?

Rhode Island scores 4.8/10 on education choice, placing it below average for education freedom. The score reflects voucher programs, education savings accounts, charter-school access, homeschool regulations, and tax-credit scholarships.

How is Rhode Island's freedom score calculated?

Each of Rhode Island's 10 category scores (0–10) is a weighted average, then multiplied by 10 to produce the overall 0–100 freedom score. Categories are weighted equally by default, but visitors can adjust the weights on the rankings page to produce a personalised ranking. The default source is the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index; the Cato Institute 2023 edition and an editorial assessment are also available as toggles. See the methodology page for per-category source attribution.

Elected Officials

Click any official to view their full profile, donors, and financial info.

Governor

DMD

Dan McKee

Governor(Democrat)

3/3 from public record

Approval: 41%(est.)

A+

100%