Rhode Island
Want to elope? This Rhode Island city is one of the best places to do it, new list says
Bride-to-be brings wedding first look to beloved grandpa
Chloe Bingham brought her wedding first look to her beloved grandfather who was too ill to attend her wedding in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
USA TODAY
Getting married, but don’t want all the stress of planning? A Rhode Island city was just named one of the best places to elope, according to a new list.
Car rental company Sixt just released an analysis of the top elopement destinations in the country, and a popular Rhode Island city made the top ten.
Newport was named the tenth-best spot in the country to elope, according to the list.
One other New England place was ranked higher than Newport — Lenox, Massachusetts was in the No. 4 spot.
Here’s why Newport made the list.
Where is the best place to elope in Rhode Island?
Sixt, a car rental company, analyzed the top places to elope in the country, and Newport, Rhode Island, came in at No. 10.
The company credited Newport’s coastal aesthetic and deep history as the biggest reasons it makes a top place to elope.
“Newport, Rhode Island, epitomizes the Gilded Age with its mansions, graceful sailboats, and a vibrant waterfront downtown,” the company said. “This city proudly showcases its stunning aesthetics, accentuated by an abundance of talented wedding photographers capturing its beauty.”
Cost was also a factor, and the company said a 50-guest wedding in Newport typically costs around $7,600.
Where are the best places to elope in the country?
Newport was the only spot in the Ocean State to make the list of top elopement destinations in the country. Here’s the top 10:
- Sonoma, California
- Aspen, Colorado
- Vail, Colorado
- Lenox, Massachusetts
- Napa, California
- Hamptons, New York
- Palm Beach, Florida
- Santa Barbara, California
- Naples, Florida
- Newport, Rhode Island
How the top elopement destinations were analyzed
In its list of the top places to elope, car rental company Sixt said it compiled the list using data across several categories.
These categories included population density, number of wedding locations, wedding photographers and videographers and planners and officiants in 50 cities across the country. Each location was assigned a score based on the categories and then ranked.
Rhode Island
Wondering how your pay stacks up to others in RI? See the data.
America’s wealth gap is exploding. Should the rich pay more?
Income inequality is soaring in the U.S., sparking a national debate: Should the super‑rich face a wealth tax?
Rhode Island residents earn more money per hour, on average, than workers in most other states, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The agency released state-by-state figures for average hourly earnings, along with average weekly pay and hours worked, for December 2025, showing an overall increase in New England from earlier in the year.
In general, New England states had higher wages than those in the central U.S. and the South. But the state where people make the most per hour isn’t in New England.
Here are the average hourly earnings for Rhode Island residents and how they compare to other states.
What is the average hourly pay in Rhode Island?
On average, Ocean Staters earn $37.89 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This figure, which is not seasonally adjusted, is up from $36.38 in June 2025.
That translates to an average weekly pay of $1,269.32, compared with $1,229.64 in June 2025.
Rhode Island ranks 12th among states – and 13th overall when Washington, D.C. is included – for average hourly pay.
How many hours per week do people in Rhode Island work?
On average, Rhode Island residents work 33.5 hours per week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down slightly from 33.8 hours in June 2025.
How does Rhode Island compare to other New England states?
Rhode Island is the third-highest-earning state in New England. Here’s what the other states earn, as of December 2025:
- Massachusetts: $42.90 (Up $0.90 from $42.00 in June 2025)
- Connecticut: $39.97 (Up $0.99 from $38.98 in June 2025)
- Rhode Island: $37.89 (Up $1.51 from $36.38 in June 2025)
- New Hampshire: $35.73 (Up $0.55 from $35.18 in June 2025)
- Vermont: $35.76 (Up $0.97 from $34.79 in June 2025)
- Maine: $33.34 (Up $0.91 from $32.43 in June 2025)
Where do people earn the most per hour?
Employees in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., earn the most money with an average hourly pay of $57.10 per hour. This is $19.21 per hour more than what workers in Rhode Island make.
The state with the second-highest hourly earnings is Washington, on the West Coast, with $43.53. This is $5.64 per hour more than what workers in Rhode Island make.
What state earns the least per hour?
Mississippi lands in last place for earnings per hour. Average hourly earnings in this southern state are $27.91.
Rhode Island
This RI Garden Transforms Into a Fairy Wonderland
It’s New England’s largest indoor public garden and this spring it’ll once again be teeming with fairies.
The Fairy Garden Days return to the Roger Williams Park Botanical Garden this April with hundreds of handmade fairy houses hidden throughout the Garden’s four greenhouses, plus special events and activities planned for kids every day.
Running from April 11-26, 2026, it’s a great day trip during school’s upcoming April vacation or a wonderful weekend adventure to enjoy an early taste of spring.
What Is Fairy Garden Days in Rhode Island?
This annual event has been one of my favorites since my daughters were babies—and we still go back every year.
READ MORE: Explore These Ten Botanical Gardens Across the SouthCoast
Artists young and old create elaborate fairy gardens depicting fanciful houses, entire schools or even relaxing health spas (cause fairies need a massage now and then too!). You never know what you’ll see or where you’ll find the gardens throughout the grounds.
Nancy Hall/Townsquare Media
What Kids Can Do at Fairy Garden Days
Though if your young ones lose interest in the fairy gardens before you do, there are plenty of activities around the greenhouses too. Kids can get hands on at the texture table, create their own wand, pen letters to the fairies or write out wishes, which get released every Thursdays.
Don’t Miss These Outdoor Garden Attractions
Outside the greenhouses are a Japanese-style trail to wander, a rose maze to make your way through and an outdoor play area where the kids can let their imaginations run wild.
Meet the Goats Behind the Garden’s Cleanup Crew
Definitely don’t forget to stop by the goat house between greenhouses 1 and 2 to say hi to the three Nigerian Dwarf goats calling the Botanical Garden home. These three are an invasive plant removal team, helping to naturally rid the Garden grounds of unwanted plants.
The goats will also celebrate their 9th birthdays during Fairy Garden Days, with a special celebration planned for them on Sunday, April 12 from 1:30 – 3 p.m. Just one of the many special events planned throughout the Fairy Garden Days from April 11-26.
Special Events Happening During Fairy Garden Days
Various fairy visits and story times are planned over the two-week event, with face painting each Tuesday and Saturday and bubble shows every Friday. There will also be an animal encounter with Roger Williams Park Zoo on April 11, Greenhouse Jazz on Sunday, April 19, and a performance from the Toe Jam Puppet Band on closing day, April 26.
READ MORE: Learn More About the SouthCoast’s Beloved Toe Jam Puppet Band
With the incredibly snowy winter Southern New England has been through, we’re probably all looking forward to finally seeing the start of spring. You can get a jump on flower season by stepping inside the Roger Williams Botanical Garden this April for the return of Fairy Garden Days.
10 Beautiful Botanical Gardens Across the SouthCoast
When the season is right, there are several spectacular gardens around the SouthCoast that are blooming with rows and rows of beautiful flowers. Here are some of the most popular places to tiptoe through the tulips and so much more.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
See Inside Gorgeous Gardens Hidden Away in Little Compton
For nearly 50 years the grounds of Sakonnet Garden have been growing in what might be the most private garden along the coast.
On certain days, at certain times you can make a reservation to walk among the hundreds of flowers and plants growing in hidden “rooms” on the grounds, or take a sneak peek right now.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Explore Peaceful Gardens and Towering Cliffs at Immersive Monet
Claude Monet created thousands of works of art over his decades as an artist. He traveled through Europe capturing gardens ,waterways, cathedrals and more. Now you can walk through the world Monet did and experience his artwork in a whole new way at Immersive Monet coming to Boston.
Here’s a taste of the artwork you could be surrounding yourself in.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Rhode Island
401Gives Starts Tuesday!
-
Sports1 week agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
Miami, FL5 days agoJannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Ab-Revealing Post Amid Miami Open
-
South-Carolina2 days agoSouth Carolina vs TCU predictions for Elite Eight game in March Madness
-
New Mexico1 week agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Politics1 week agoSchumer gambit fails as DHS shutdown hits 36 days and airport lines grow
-
Minneapolis, MN5 days agoBoy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
-
Tennessee1 week agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Science1 week agoRecord Heat Meets a Major Snow Drought Across the West