You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Rhode Island. Best suburbs 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.
$120,250 median income · 4.5% unemployment
$140,196 median income · 1.7% unemployment
$103,707 median income · 3.0% unemployment
$102,266 median income · 4.1% unemployment
$82,192 median income · 7.5% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$120,235 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$121,369 median income · 8.8% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$101,932 median income · 5.4% unemployment
Data | Movers
$92,971 median income · 1.7% unemployment
$62,535 median income · 9.7% unemployment
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
Rhode Island statewide median: 5.8%
On the map
Where Rhode Island’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
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 2020-2024 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 – 10 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 10, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Rhode Island. Top of that list — Bradford.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Rhode Island.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Rhode Island
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford | 1,511 | $120,250 | $426,342 | 4.5% |
| 2 | Carolina | 1,048 | $140,196 | $489,637 | 1.7% |
| 3 | Ashaway | 1,722 | $103,707 | $424,418 | 3.0% |
| 4 | Melville | 1,631 | $102,266 | $0 | 4.1% |
| 5 | Narragansett Pier | 3,167 | $82,192 | $1,051,534 | 7.5% |
| 6 | Harmony | 1,006 | $120,235 | $421,701 | 0.0% |
| 7 | Pascoag | 4,410 | $121,369 | $450,851 | 8.8% |
| 8 | Hope Valley | 2,297 | $101,932 | $552,756 | 5.4% |
| 9 | Chepachet | 1,923 | $92,971 | $345,118 | 1.7% |
| 10 | Harrisville | 1,767 | $62,535 | $438,499 | 9.7% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 10 Rhode Island towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
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 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 Bradford, Carolina, Ashaway, Melville, Narragansett Pier, Harmony, Pascoag, Hope Valley, Chepachet, and Harrisville. Not sold on Rhode Island? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Rhode Island FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Rhode Island?
Bradford is the best small town in Rhode Island for 2026. The median household income there is $120,250 and the median home costs $426,342. Carolina and Ashaway round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Rhode Island?
The best small towns in Rhode Island are Bradford, Carolina, Ashaway, Melville, Narragansett Pier, Harmony, Pascoag, Hope Valley, Chepachet, and Harrisville. We ranked all 10 Rhode Island towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Rhode Island place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 10 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Rhode Island?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Bradford, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Bradford?
The median home in Bradford runs $426,342, against $499,272 across Rhode Island as a whole. Pair that with a $120,250 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
