You’ve finally finished the career grind and want to retire somewhere in the Ocean State. But where are the best places to retire in Rhode Island?
Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
Rhode Island is one of the safest states in the country, so you won’t have to spend your retirement worrying about crime. If you need to retire near the sea and beaches, you’ll be nearby. And the art scene in Providence is guaranteed to keep you smiling.
Here’s how we arrived at the best cities for retirement in Rhode Island. We started by narrowing our search to the 10 cities in Rhode Island with a population of at least 8,000. Then we used Saturday Night Science to parse data from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights. We found the most affordable, safest, and sunniest cities with the most to do.
We hope you like clam chowder and Del’s Lemonade because we’re heading to the best places to retire in Rhode Island.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Rhode Island For 2024
What city is the best for retirement in Rhode Island? According to the data, East Providence is the best place to retire in Rhode Island for 2024.
Just where are these great places for retirement in Rhode Island? Most of these ten cities are also among Rhode Island’s biggest cities, so you definitely won’t be far from the action. Some of the state’s most famous cities, like Providence, Newport, and Pawtucket, are all great places for retirement, so you won’t need to break out the map when you’re explaining where you’re retiring to your family.
Want to see how all 10 cities we looked at did? Check out the complete list below for each city of at least 8,000 did in our rankings.
Why did East Providence take the top spot? And where are Providence and Warwick?
For more Rhode Island state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Rhode Island
- Cheapest Places To Live In Rhode Island
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Rhode Island
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Rhode Island For 2024
/10
Population: 47,012
Median Income: $71,736
Median Home Price: $381,790
Median Rent: $1,186
Distance to Closest Airport: 42 miles
More on East Providence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 18,272
Median Income: $86,343
Median Home Price: $529,378
Median Rent: $1,283
Distance to Closest Airport: 59 miles
More on Westerly: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,101
Median Income: $86,102
Median Home Price: $477,304
Median Rent: $1,223
Distance to Closest Airport: 50 miles
More on Tiverton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 43,029
Median Income: $54,398
Median Home Price: $338,485
Median Rent: $1,066
Distance to Closest Airport: 35 miles
More on Woonsocket: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 75,176
Median Income: $62,799
Median Home Price: $343,911
Median Rent: $1,081
Distance to Closest Airport: 38 miles
More on Pawtucket: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 82,691
Median Income: $83,123
Median Home Price: $392,034
Median Rent: $1,270
Distance to Closest Airport: 47 miles
More on Cranston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 82,783
Median Income: $81,009
Median Home Price: $364,360
Median Rent: $1,295
Distance to Closest Airport: 50 miles
More on Warwick: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 22,359
Median Income: $43,092
Median Home Price: $313,807
Median Rent: $1,052
Distance to Closest Airport: 38 miles
More on Central Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 189,715
Median Income: $61,365
Median Home Price: $365,946
Median Rent: $1,214
Distance to Closest Airport: 42 miles
More on Providence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 25,087
Median Income: $81,330
Median Home Price: $827,429
Median Rent: $1,527
Distance to Closest Airport: 63 miles
More on Newport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Ocean State for 2024
To create our ranking of the best places in Rhode Island to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Ocean State — 34 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 8,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 10 places from across the state.
For these 10, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 10, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case East Providence, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Rhode Island.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Rhode Island Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Rhode Island goes to East Providence.
The best places to retire in Rhode Island are East Providence, Westerly, Tiverton, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Cranston, Warwick, Central Falls, Providence, and Newport.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Newport
- Providence
- Central Falls
For more Rhode Island reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Rhode Island
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Providence | 47,012 | $71,736 | $381,790 | $1,186 |
| 2 | Westerly | 18,272 | $86,343 | $529,378 | $1,283 |
| 3 | Tiverton | 8,101 | $86,102 | $477,304 | $1,223 |
| 4 | Woonsocket | 43,029 | $54,398 | $338,485 | $1,066 |
| 5 | Pawtucket | 75,176 | $62,799 | $343,911 | $1,081 |
| 6 | Cranston | 82,691 | $83,123 | $392,034 | $1,270 |
| 7 | Warwick | 82,783 | $81,009 | $364,360 | $1,295 |
| 8 | Central Falls | 22,359 | $43,092 | $313,807 | $1,052 |
| 9 | Providence | 189,715 | $61,365 | $365,946 | $1,214 |
| 10 | Newport | 25,087 | $81,330 | $827,429 | $1,527 |