Do we think there's a direct correlation between educated residents, jobs, competitive salaries, and people flocking to the safest places in Rhode Island to live the Little Rhody dream? Absolutely.
Whether you're hanging out on a beach in Newport, noshing on a lobster roll at the Providence Seafood Festival, taking a ride on the Flying Horse Carousel in Westerly, Rhode Island knows how to keep its residents safe.
And here at HomeSnacks, we wanted to know where, exactly, the safest cities in The Ocean State are located. So, we analyzed 33 Rhode Island cities with over 5,000 residents. We looked at important factors like property and violent crimes per capita from the FBI.
We discovered that if you choose to live in one of Rhode Island's safest places, you'll get to experience some of New England's best chowder and some of the northeast's warmest hospitality. There's a reason Rhode Island notables sing the praises of places like Quahog, Cranston, and Pawtucket. These are some of Rhode Island's best and safest places.
Where are these amazing places in Rhode Island where crime is low, jobs are plentiful, and neighborhoods are safe? Read on.
So, what city is the safest place to live in Rhode Island for 2025? According to the most recent FBI data, Bristol is the safest place to live in The Ocean State.
Check out the rest of the safe Rhode Island cities to see how your city ranked. And if you don't find your favorite there, head to the bottom.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around Rhode Island, check out:
Population: 22,262 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 26 (third safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 215 (second safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on Bristol:Real Estate
Bristol is the safest town in Rhode Island, with the second safest rate of both property and violent crime. Bristol residents had a 1 in 3,710 of being the victim of a violent crime in 2024, a chance about eight times lower than the national average. On top of that, there were under two property crimes committed a week on average, which is quite low for a town of 22,262.
It's good that you don't have to worry about taking time to smell the roses in Bristol, especially at the gardens at Blithewold Mansion. Bristol is just a half hour southeast of Providence.
2. Portsmouth
Source: Wikipedia User John McDaid | CC BY-SA 3.0
Population: 17,579 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 11 (safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 347 (seventh safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on Portsmouth:Real Estate
Located just south of Bristol, Portsmouth is the second safest city in Rhode Island. Portsmouth had the seventh safest rate of property crime in the state, which is good news for a city that houses classic cars at the Newport Car Museum and wants to avoid any grand theft auto situations. Portsmouth also had the safest rate of violent crime in the state, with nearly ten times less violence than average American city. Overall, Portsmouth has some of the safest streets statewide.
3. Glocester
Source: Wikipedia User Magicpiano | CC BY-SA 3.0
Population: 10,427 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 47 (eighth safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 115 (safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on Glocester:Real Estate
Glocester is a town in Providence County just 20 miles northwest of the capital, and ranks as the third safest city in Rhode Island. Don't worry about getting your wallet snatched at Pulaski State Park, because Glocester has the safest property crime rate in the state. The 12 property crimes that occurred in 2024 represent a rate eight times lower than the national average. There were also only 5 violent crimes committed, giving Glocester the eighth safest rate of violence in Rhode Island.
4. Burrillville
Source: Wikipedia User User:Magicpiano | GFDL
Population: 16,728 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 41 (sixth safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 304 (fifth safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on Burrillville:Real Estate
Burrillville, Rhode Island, is a classic New England town of 16,728 people. It's also the number 4 safest area in Rhode Island.
Over the course of a year, the town recorded 51 property crimes. Violence was even more scarce, with 7 such violations. Those figures point to an overall crime rate of 346/100k people.
Located in the northwest corner of the state, Burrillville sits on the borders of both Massachusetts and Connecticut. This gives it a prime location among the region's major population areas. It's a half hour from Providence, an hour's drive from Boston, and an hour and a half from Hartford.
The town has a median income of $65747 and a median home price of $278500. The unemployment rate is 6.93.
5. West Greenwich
Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 3.0
Population: 6,835 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 14 (second safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 409 (ninth safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on West Greenwich:Real Estate
A short half hour's drive down I-95 takes you from West Greenwich, Rhode Island, to the state capital of Providence. Despite this proximity to Rhode Island's biggest city, West Greenwich maintains a rural character. Once there, you can forget about urban problems, especially crime. West Greenwich ranks as the number 5 safest communities in Rhode Island.
In fact, crime is nearly nonexistent in the town. With a population of 6,835, West Greenwich saw just 28 over the course of a year. That equates to a per-capita rate of 409/100k people.
For violent crimes, West Greenwich experienced just 1 such violations in a year. That gave the town the second safest healthiest violent-crime rate in the state.
West Greenwich has a median income of $65747 and a median home price of $278500.
6. Richmond
Source: Wikipedia User Swampyank | CC BY-SA 3.0
Population: 8,282 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 48 (ninth safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 277 (third safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on Richmond:Real Estate
In central Washington County, Richmond is the sixth safest city in Rhode Island. Richmond residents had a 1 in 360 of being the victim of a property crime in 2024, the third safest rate statewide. There were also only 4 violent crimes committed in 2024, so violence is about as common as the seasonal change in Richmond. Richmond is home to Rhode Island's largest recreational area, which you can take advantage of in safety if you're into fishing or hiking.
7. Hopkinton
Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 3.0
Population: 8,527 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 46 (seventh safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 340 (sixth safest) Murders: 1 Murders Per 100k: 11 More on Hopkinton:Real Estate
Located in the southwestern part of the Rhode Island, Hopkinton jumped up nine spots to earn the ranking of seventh safest city in the state this year. Hopkinton had the seventh safest rate of violent crime in the state, with about eight times less violent crime than the national average. So you won't need a security detail for your hike at Arcadia Management Area.
Hopkinton also averaged just one property crime a week, meaning it's one of the safest places in Rhode Island to leave your door unlocked.
8. Jamestown
Source: Wikipedia User LEONARDO DASILVA | CC BY 3.0
Population: 5,550 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 54 (tenth safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 288 (fourth safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on Jamestown:Real Estate
Jamestown is a town of 5,550 with some awe-inspiring crime statistics. Like having the fourth safest lowest property crime in Rhode Island.
You know a place is extra safe when, on average, fewer than one crime is committed each week. We wonder if the local police are bored with such meager criminal activity. You can stay out as late as you want at the family-friendly Jamestown without fear of an attack or theft. That's because there were only 3 violent crimes committed here over the past year.
Jamestown, located on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay, seems like as close as you'll find to island paradise in Rhode Island.
9. East Greenwich
Source: Public domain
Population: 14,957 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 33 (fourth safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 601 (13th safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on East Greenwich:Real Estate
The quaint community of East Greenwich is the number 9 safest place to live in Rhode Island. The town, originally founded in 1677, is located 25 minutes south of Providence, the state's capital and its biggest city. It also sits close to the shore of Greenwich Bay, giving access to scenic views in Goddard Memorial State Park.
East Greenwich reported just 90 property crimes during a year. This included 5 burglaries and 9 cars stolen. Violence was even more rare. The community suffered just 5 such events in a year, giving it a tiny per-capita rate of 33/100k people.
Looking at the region's economy, residents of East Greenwich enjoy a median income of $65747. The median home price comes in at $278500.
10. Cumberland
Source: Public domain
Population: 37,213 Violent Crimes Per 100k: 59 (11th safest) Property Crimes Per 100k: 534 (11th safest) Murders: 0 Murders Per 100k: 0 More on Cumberland:Real Estate
Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Rhode Island for 2025
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Rhode Island are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Rhode Island.
Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)
For example, there were 54 crimes committed in Bristol, with a reported population of 22,262. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0024, which translates into a 1 in 412 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at Rhode Island cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 33 of the biggest cities in Rhode Island to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 33 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Rhode Island," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in Rhode Island, based on our criteria, is Bristol. The most dangerous city in Rhode Island? Woonsocket, where residents had a 1 in 52 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2025. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Rhode Island. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2024 report.
Looking at the data, you can tell that Bristol is as safe as they come in Rhode Island, according to science and data.
But as most Rhode Island residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.
He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.
If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.