Cliff-Zone Families
20,565
Total Wage Suppression
$15.0M
State Avg Cliff Zone
13.1%
The benefits cliff — sometimes called the welfare cliff or cliff effect — occurs when families lose public benefits faster than they can replace them through increased earnings. In Rhode Island, an estimated 20,565 families across 5 counties earn between 100–200% of the Federal Poverty Level, where benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and housing assistance phase out. The CLIFF Index measures this exposure at the county level, including peak marginal effective tax rates, wage suppression estimates, and advancement thresholds. Click any county below for the full diagnostic report.
| CountyCounty↕ | PopulationPopulation↕ | Cliff Zone %Cliff Zone %↕ | Families AffectedFamilies↓ | Wage SuppressionWage Gap↕ | Peak METRPeak METR↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County | 664,854 | 15.5% | 14,580 | $10.6M | 127% |
| Kent County | 171,456 | 12.2% | 3,337 | $2.4M | 127% |
| Washington County | 130,344 | 8.0% | 1,188 | $865K | 127% |
| Newport County | 84,657 | 7.9% | 1,002 | $729K | 127% |
| Bristol County | 50,490 | 6.7% | 458 | $333K | 127% |
5 of 5 counties shown. Click any county for full diagnostic.