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 2026
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 2026.
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 Cranston?
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 2026
/10
Population: 18,411
Median Income: $95,207
Median Home Price: $623,538
Median Rent: $1,260
Distance to Closest Airport: 59 miles
More on Westerly: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 47,281
Median Income: $75,912
Median Home Price: $439,965
Median Rent: $1,288
Distance to Closest Airport: 42 miles
More on East Providence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,091
Median Income: $99,158
Median Home Price: $546,619
Median Rent: $1,342
Distance to Closest Airport: 50 miles
More on Tiverton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 83,175
Median Income: $88,708
Median Home Price: $414,086
Median Rent: $1,363
Distance to Closest Airport: 50 miles
More on Warwick: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 75,893
Median Income: $68,310
Median Home Price: $391,766
Median Rent: $1,208
Distance to Closest Airport: 38 miles
More on Pawtucket: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 43,521
Median Income: $61,059
Median Home Price: $380,892
Median Rent: $1,161
Distance to Closest Airport: 35 miles
More on Woonsocket: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 83,250
Median Income: $90,206
Median Home Price: $446,693
Median Rent: $1,375
Distance to Closest Airport: 47 miles
More on Cranston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 22,701
Median Income: $49,285
Median Home Price: $377,288
Median Rent: $1,200
Distance to Closest Airport: 38 miles
More on Central Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 24,874
Median Income: $86,313
Median Home Price: $938,853
Median Rent: $1,698
Distance to Closest Airport: 63 miles
More on Newport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 191,767
Median Income: $68,119
Median Home Price: $426,006
Median Rent: $1,408
Distance to Closest Airport: 42 miles
More on Providence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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.
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:
- 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 | 18,411 | $95,207 | $623,538 | $1,260 |
| 2 | East Providence | 47,281 | $75,912 | $439,965 | $1,288 |
| 3 | Tiverton | 8,091 | $99,158 | $546,619 | $1,342 |
| 4 | Warwick | 83,175 | $88,708 | $414,086 | $1,363 |
| 5 | Pawtucket | 75,893 | $68,310 | $391,766 | $1,208 |
| 6 | Woonsocket | 43,521 | $61,059 | $380,892 | $1,161 |
| 7 | Cranston | 83,250 | $90,206 | $446,693 | $1,375 |
| 8 | Central Falls | 22,701 | $49,285 | $377,288 | $1,200 |
| 9 | Newport | 24,874 | $86,313 | $938,853 | $1,698 |
| 10 | Providence | 191,767 | $68,119 | $426,006 | $1,408 |