You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Rhode Island. Best sururbs in Rhode Island. Best counties in Rhode Island.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Ocean State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Rhode Island based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Rhode Island ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Rhode Island For 2024
- Melville
- Harmony
- Ashaway
- Narragansett Pier
- Carolina
- Greene
- Chepachet
- Harrisville
- Hope Valley
- Pascoag
- Bradford
What’s the best small town in Rhode Island? Melville is the best small town in Rhode Island based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Melville, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Ocean State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Rhode Island
- Cheapest Places To Live In Rhode Island
- Most Dangerous Cities In Rhode Island
The 15 Best Small Towns In Rhode Island For 2024
1. Melville
/10
Population: 1,918
Median Income: $128,750 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $0 (11th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
2. Harmony
/10
Population: 1,442
Median Income: $103,430 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $432,448 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
3. Ashaway
/10
Population: 1,662
Median Income: $98,875 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $362,981 (9th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
4. Narragansett Pier
/10
Population: 2,805
Median Income: $76,528 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $868,841 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 11.6%
5. Carolina
Population: 1,165
Median Income: $92,419 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $440,209 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%
6. Greene
/10
Population: 1,070
Median Income: $96,176 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $423,033 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
7. Chepachet
/10
Population: 1,755
Median Income: $92,228 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $358,910 (10th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
8. Harrisville
/10
Population: 1,515
Median Income: $62,750 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $431,939 (5th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
9. Hope Valley
/10
Population: 2,209
Median Income: $93,888 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $546,063 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 8.4%
10. Pascoag
/10
Population: 4,527
Median Income: $97,064 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $374,050 (8th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.7%
11. Bradford
/10
Population: 1,189
Median Income: $72,383 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $380,982 (7th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 15.1%
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Rhode Island
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Rhode Island possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 11 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 11, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Rhode Island. Top of that list — Melville.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Rhode Island.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Rhode Island are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Rhode Island are Melville, Harmony, Ashaway, Narragansett Pier, Carolina, Greene, Chepachet, Harrisville, Hope Valley, and Pascoag.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Rhode Island:
- Bradford
- Pascoag
- Hope Valley
For more Rhode Island reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Rhode Island
- Safest Places In Rhode Island
- Worst Places To Live In Rhode Island
Best Small Towns In Rhode Island
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melville, RI | 1,918 | $128,750 | 2.1% | |
| 2 | Harmony, RI | 1,442 | $103,430 | 3.5% | |
| 3 | Ashaway, RI | 1,662 | $98,875 | 0.0% | |
| 4 | Narragansett Pier, RI | 2,805 | $76,528 | 11.6% | |
| 5 | Carolina, RI | 1,165 | $92,419 | 6.1% | |
| 6 | Greene, RI | 1,070 | $96,176 | 2.8% | |
| 7 | Chepachet, RI | 1,755 | $92,228 | 0.0% | |
| 8 | Harrisville, RI | 1,515 | $62,750 | 5.7% | |
| 9 | Hope Valley, RI | 2,209 | $93,888 | 8.4% | |
| 10 | Pascoag, RI | 4,527 | $97,064 | 7.7% | |
| 11 | Bradford, RI | 1,189 | $72,383 | 15.1% |