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.
$1,260 median rent · $95,207 median income · #4 cheapest rent 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
$1,288 median rent · $75,912 median income · #5 cheapest rent in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 47,037 at the 2010 census, making it the fifth largest city in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,342 median rent · $99,158 median income · #6 cheapest rent 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
$1,363 median rent · $88,708 median income · #7 cheapest rent in Rhode Island
Located in
Kent County, Rhode Island
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,208 median rent · $68,310 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,161 median rent · $61,059 median income · #1 cheapest rent in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts state line and constitutes part of both the Providence metropolitan area and the larger Greater Boston Combined Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,375 median rent · $90,206 median income · #8 cheapest rent in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. With a population of 80,529 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston. Cranston is a part of the Providence metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,200 median rent · $49,285 median income · #2 cheapest rent in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 19,376 at the 2010 census. With an area of only 1.29 square miles, it is the smallest and most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the 27th most densely populated incorporated place in the United States. It is also one of only four incorporated places in New England that have a higher population density than the city of Boston. The city takes its name from a waterfall on the Blackstone River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,698 median rent · $86,313 median income · #10 cheapest rent 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
$1,408 median rent · $68,119 median income · #9 cheapest rent in Rhode Island
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island in the early 1900s it was the most visited place, founded in 1636 and one of the oldest cities in the United States. It was founded by Roger Williams, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of “God’s merciful Providence” which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers to settle. The city is situated at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay.
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 to retire in Rhode Island
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Ocean State for 2026
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 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Rhode Island.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Rhode Island
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westerly | 4.20 | 18,411 | $95,207 | $623,538 | $1,260 |
| 2 | East Providence | 4.50 | 47,281 | $75,912 | $439,966 | $1,288 |
| 3 | Tiverton | 4.70 | 8,091 | $99,158 | $546,620 | $1,342 |
| 4 | Warwick | 5.30 | 83,175 | $88,708 | $414,087 | $1,363 |
| 5 | Pawtucket | 5.30 | 75,893 | $68,310 | $391,766 | $1,208 |
| 6 | Woonsocket | 5.40 | 43,521 | $61,059 | $380,892 | $1,161 |
| 7 | Cranston | 5.60 | 83,250 | $90,206 | $446,694 | $1,375 |
| 8 | Central Falls | 5.90 | 22,701 | $49,285 | $377,289 | $1,200 |
| 9 | Newport | 6.80 | 24,874 | $86,313 | $938,854 | $1,698 |
| 10 | Providence | 7.30 | 191,767 | $68,119 | $426,007 | $1,408 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 10 cities with more than 8,000 residents.
Summary
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, Tiverton, Warwick, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Cranston, 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.
