Rhode Island ranked 43rd in population in the US with an estimated total of 1,069,725 in 2002, an increase of 2% since 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, Rhode Island's population grew from 1,003,464 to 1,048,319, an increase of 4.5%. The population is projected to reach 1.1 million by 2025. The population density in 2000 was 1,003.2 persons per sq mi, making Rhode Island the nation's 2nd most densely populated state, after New Jersey.
In 2000 the median age was 36.7. Persons under 18 years old accounted for 23.6% of the population while14.5 % were age 65 or older.
Providence, the capital, is the leading city, with an estimated population in 2002 of 175,901 (compared to the 1940 peak of 253,504). In 1999, the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,125,639. Other cities with large populations include Pawtucket and Woonsocket.