Data · Rhode Island × Sports

Women in Sports in Rhode Island

How women in sports fare in Rhode Island — state-adjusted pay gap, state ranking, and the national context that frames the local picture.

85.6%
Rhode Island overall earnings ratio (women/men)
Census ACS S2001
#10
of 51 jurisdictions for pay equity
Derived from ACS state ratios
14.4%
Unadjusted pay gap in Rhode Island
Census ACS
32.4%
Women in Rhode Island’s legislature

The state-adjusted picture

Women in sports nationally face the same structural conditions as women in every other field — but the overall wage environment in Rhode Island modifies the baseline by +2.1% relative to the US average. A state where the overall pay gap is narrower tends to reflect narrower gaps within fields too, though field-specific dynamics dominate for specialized professions.

Rhode Island has never elected a woman US Senator.

National context

Women's sports is the fastest-growing category in professional athletics — but still a fraction of the media spend, prize money, and franchise valuation of men's. This page tracks the numbers on participation, pay, viewership, and the leagues closing the gap.

Full national data Women in Sports: Pay, Viewership, and Trends (2026)

National headline stats (sports)

3.5M+
US high school girls playing varsity sports (2024)
15%
Share of sports media coverage devoted to women's sports (Wasserman Collective 2024)
92%
Average WNBA base salary as % of equivalent NBA G-League salary
$2.1B
New WNBA media rights deal (11-year, 2025-36)

Other fields in Rhode Island

Sports in other states

Related pages

Frequently asked

What is the pay gap for women in sports in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island’s overall pay ratio is 85.6% — a 14.4% gap. The gap within sports follows the national pattern modified by Rhode Island’s overall wage environment. See the full national field data for in-field specifics.

How does Rhode Island rank on pay equity?

Rhode Island ranks #10 of 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity, per Census ACS state ratios.

How are women represented in Rhode Island politics?

32.4% of Rhode Island state legislators are women (CAWP 2024). 1 women from Rhode Island serve in the 119th US Congress.

Where does the national sports data come from?

NFHS High School Sports Participation Survey; Wasserman Collective — The Collective Think Tank; Women's Sports Foundation