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 2025
What city is the best for retirement in Rhode Island? According to the data, Westerly is the best place to retire in Rhode Island for 2025.
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 Westerly 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 2025
/10
Population: 18,528
Median Income: $82,333
Median Home Price: $400,200
Median Rent: $1,243
Distance to Closest Airport: 59 miles
More on Westerly: Data
/10
Population: 46,970
Median Income: $79,660
Median Home Price: $322,100
Median Rent: $1,262
Distance to Closest Airport: 42 miles
More on East Providence: Data
/10
Population: 82,871
Median Income: $87,536
Median Home Price: $322,000
Median Rent: $1,299
Distance to Closest Airport: 50 miles
More on Warwick: Data
/10
Population: 75,280
Median Income: $67,436
Median Home Price: $286,200
Median Rent: $1,152
Distance to Closest Airport: 38 miles
More on Pawtucket: Data
/10
Population: 8,151
Median Income: $91,493
Median Home Price: $357,700
Median Rent: $1,341
Distance to Closest Airport: 50 miles
More on Tiverton: Data
/10
Population: 82,632
Median Income: $87,716
Median Home Price: $348,800
Median Rent: $1,332
Distance to Closest Airport: 47 miles
More on Cranston: Data
/10
Population: 43,074
Median Income: $58,614
Median Home Price: $268,000
Median Rent: $1,116
Distance to Closest Airport: 35 miles
More on Woonsocket: Data
/10
Population: 22,481
Median Income: $45,921
Median Home Price: $300,500
Median Rent: $1,118
Distance to Closest Airport: 38 miles
More on Central Falls: Data
/10
Population: 25,029
Median Income: $83,562
Median Home Price: $669,500
Median Rent: $1,612
Distance to Closest Airport: 63 miles
More on Newport: Data
/10
Population: 190,214
Median Income: $66,772
Median Home Price: $322,800
Median Rent: $1,333
Distance to Closest Airport: 42 miles
More on Providence: Data
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Ocean State for 2025
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 Westerly, 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 2025. 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 Westerly.
The best places to retire in Rhode Island are Westerly, East Providence, Warwick, Pawtucket, Tiverton, Cranston, Woonsocket, Central Falls, Newport, and Providence.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Providence
- Newport
- 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 | Westerly | 18,528 | $82,333 | $400,200 | $1,243 |
| 2 | East Providence | 46,970 | $79,660 | $322,100 | $1,262 |
| 3 | Warwick | 82,871 | $87,536 | $322,000 | $1,299 |
| 4 | Pawtucket | 75,280 | $67,436 | $286,200 | $1,152 |
| 5 | Tiverton | 8,151 | $91,493 | $357,700 | $1,341 |
| 6 | Cranston | 82,632 | $87,716 | $348,800 | $1,332 |
| 7 | Woonsocket | 43,074 | $58,614 | $268,000 | $1,116 |
| 8 | Central Falls | 22,481 | $45,921 | $300,500 | $1,118 |
| 9 | Newport | 25,029 | $83,562 | $669,500 | $1,612 |
| 10 | Providence | 190,214 | $66,772 | $322,800 | $1,333 |