There are all types when it comes to being a snob in Rhode Island. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobs — as in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which Rhode Island cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in Rhode Island. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 25 of the state’s most populous areas over 1,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of Rhode Island.
The Rhode Islander in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
$107,404 median income · $683,565 median home · #6 income in Rhode Island
Located in
Washington County, Rhode Island
Kingston is a village and a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic District.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$130,506 median income · $487,043 median home · #2 income in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$140,196 median income · $489,637 median home · #1 income in Rhode Island
$95,207 median income · $623,538 median home · #12 income in Rhode Island
Located in
Washington County, Rhode Island
Westerly is a town on the southwestern shoreline of Washington County, Rhode Island, United States founded in 1669 by John Babcock. It is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state. The population was 22,787 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$82,192 median income · $1,051,534 median home · #19 income in Rhode Island
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$86,313 median income · $938,854 median home · #18 income in Rhode Island
Located in
Newport County, Rhode Island
Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The City of Newport is located approximately 37 miles southeast of Providence, 21 miles south of Fall River, and 74 miles south of Boston. It is known as a New England summer resort and is famous for its mansions. It is also the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport, which houses the United States Naval War College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and a major United States Navy training center. It was a major 18th-century port city and also contains a high number of surviving buildings from the colonial era of the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$99,158 median income · $546,620 median home · #10 income in Rhode Island
Located in
Newport County, Rhode Island
Tiverton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 15,780 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$89,028 median income · $599,571 median home · #16 income in Rhode Island
Located in
Newport County, Rhode Island
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$120,250 median income · $426,342 median home · #4 income in Rhode Island
$97,234 median income · $536,946 median home · #11 income in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Rhode Island’s statewide median.
Rhode Island statewide median: $87,796
Rhode Island statewide median: $499,272
On the map
Where the snobs live in Rhode Island
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Ocean State
Do you think we’d just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in Rhode Island with populations of 1,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 25 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, it’s not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 25 places in each category with scores from one to 25. We then averaged each place’s ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in Rhode Island. So let’s all flip a table in honor of Kingston (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, let’s remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
The full plate
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In Rhode Island For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snob Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingston | 3.33 | 7,332 | $107,404 | $683,565 | 77.0% |
| 2 | Cumberland Hill | 5.67 | 8,648 | $130,506 | $487,043 | 49.0% |
| 3 | Carolina | 5.67 | 1,048 | $140,196 | $489,637 | 43.0% |
| 4 | Westerly | 7.33 | 18,411 | $95,207 | $623,538 | 44.0% |
| 5 | Narragansett Pier | 7.67 | 3,167 | $82,192 | $1,051,534 | 59.0% |
| 6 | Newport | 8.00 | 24,874 | $86,313 | $938,854 | 57.0% |
| 7 | Tiverton | 8.67 | 8,091 | $99,158 | $546,620 | 40.0% |
| 8 | Newport East | 9.67 | 11,069 | $89,028 | $599,571 | 42.0% |
| 9 | Bradford | 10.00 | 1,511 | $120,250 | $426,342 | 39.0% |
| 10 | Greenville | 10.50 | 8,296 | $97,234 | $536,946 | 37.0% |
| 11 | Melville | 11.67 | 1,631 | $102,266 | $0 | 60.0% |
| 12 | Harmony | 11.67 | 1,006 | $120,235 | $421,701 | 38.0% |
| 13 | Pascoag | 11.83 | 4,410 | $121,369 | $450,851 | 26.0% |
| 14 | Hope Valley | 11.83 | 2,297 | $101,932 | $552,756 | 26.0% |
| 15 | Cranston | 13.50 | 83,250 | $90,206 | $446,694 | 37.0% |
| 16 | Ashaway | 13.83 | 1,722 | $103,707 | $424,418 | 31.0% |
| 17 | Valley Falls | 14.33 | 12,657 | $92,901 | $463,451 | 29.0% |
| 18 | East Providence | 16.83 | 47,281 | $75,912 | $439,966 | 31.0% |
| 19 | Warwick | 17.17 | 83,175 | $88,708 | $414,087 | 34.0% |
| 20 | Providence | 17.83 | 191,767 | $68,119 | $426,007 | 34.0% |
| 21 | Chepachet | 18.67 | 1,923 | $92,971 | $345,118 | 27.0% |
| 22 | Harrisville | 20.33 | 1,767 | $62,535 | $438,499 | 21.0% |
| 23 | Pawtucket | 21.33 | 75,893 | $68,310 | $391,766 | 23.0% |
| 24 | Woonsocket | 23.33 | 43,521 | $61,059 | $380,892 | 20.0% |
| 25 | Central Falls | 24.33 | 22,701 | $49,285 | $377,289 | 11.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 25 places with more than 1,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in Rhode Island are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in Rhode Island are Kingston, Cumberland Hill, Carolina, Westerly, Narragansett Pier, Newport, Tiverton, Newport East, Bradford, and Greenville. Not sold on Rhode Island? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Snobbiest Places In Rhode Island FAQs
What is the snobbiest city in Rhode Island?
Kingston is the snobbiest place in Rhode Island for 2026. The median household income there is $107,404, the median home costs $683,565, and 77.0% of adults hold a college degree.
What are the snobbiest places in Rhode Island?
The snobbiest places in Rhode Island are Kingston, Cumberland Hill, Carolina, Westerly, Narragansett Pier, Newport, Tiverton, Newport East, Bradford, and Greenville. We ranked all 25 places with more than 1,000 residents on incomes, home prices, and college degrees.
What makes a place snobby?
Money and diplomas, mostly. Our Snob Score combines median income, median home value, and the share of adults with a college degree; places that rank high on all three earn the title.
How rich are people in the snobbiest parts of Rhode Island?
Every place in the Rhode Island top ten posts a median household income of at least $82,192, against a statewide median of $87,796. Homes across the top ten run $573,096, versus $499,272 statewide.
What is the most laid-back place in Rhode Island?
Central Falls lands at the other end of the Snob Score, making it the most laid-back place in Rhode Island by our measure. No pretension detected.
