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Is being in an area that's growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask. Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Providence and Cranston, while others want peace and quiet like in Kingston and Tiverton, thank you very much.
But today we're going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts -- over the past five years, which cities in Rhode Island have the grown the fastest.
After getting knee deep in the Census's American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Ocean State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Rhode Island for 2021 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Rhode Island For 2021
What's the fastest growing city in Rhode Island for 2021? Based on the most recent ACS data, Tiverton ranks as the fastest growing city in Rhode Island. If you happen to be a resident of Tiverton, you're probably not too surprised to find it on our list.
If you're surprised--and you're wondering why these places are kind of a big deal--keep reading. We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Rhode Island are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Rhode Island or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Rhode Island state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Rhode Island
- Cheapest Places To Live In Rhode Island
- Most Dangerous Cities In Rhode Island
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Rhode Island For 2021
1. Tiverton
/10
Population: 7,804
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 7,296
Percent Growth 7.0%
Absolute Growth: 508
More on Tiverton: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Kingston
/10
Population: 6,513
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 6,126
Percent Growth 6.3%
Absolute Growth: 387
More on Kingston: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Cumberland Hill
/10
Population: 8,249
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population 2010: 7,820
Percent Growth 5.5%
Absolute Growth: 429
More on Cumberland Hill: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. Wakefield-Peacedale
/10
Population: 9,504
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 9,021
Percent Growth 5.4%
Absolute Growth: 483
More on Wakefield-Peacedale: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Valley Falls
/10
Population: 11,882
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 11,518
Percent Growth 3.2%
Absolute Growth: 364
More on Valley Falls: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Newport East
/10
Population: 11,925
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6)
Population 2010: 11,637
Percent Growth 2.5%
Absolute Growth: 288
More on Newport East: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Cranston
/10
Population: 81,254
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 80,580
Percent Growth 0.8%
Absolute Growth: 674
More on Cranston: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Providence
/10
Population: 179,494
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 178,286
Percent Growth 0.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,208
More on Providence: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Pawtucket
/10
Population: 71,844
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 71,662
Percent Growth 0.3%
Absolute Growth: 182
More on Pawtucket: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. Central Falls
/10
Population: 19,429
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 19,391
Percent Growth 0.2%
Absolute Growth: 38
More on Central Falls: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Ocean State for 2021
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2018)
We ranked all 16 Rhode Island cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest growing city in the Ocean State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population - Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
Here's a graph of the cities in Rhode Island with the largest percent increase in population:
These Places Grew Up So Fast In Rhode Island, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Rhode Island are led by Tiverton which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
It'll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We'll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Warwick
- Newport
- Greenville
For more Rhode Island reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Rhode Island
- Safest Places In Rhode Island
- Worst Places To Live In Rhode Island
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Rhode Island For 2021
Rank | City | Growth |
---|---|---|
1 | Tiverton | 7.0% |
2 | Kingston | 6.3% |
3 | Cumberland Hill | 5.5% |
4 | Wakefield-Peacedale | 5.4% |
5 | Valley Falls | 3.2% |
6 | Newport East | 2.5% |
7 | Cranston | 0.8% |
8 | Providence | 0.7% |
9 | Pawtucket | 0.3% |
10 | Central Falls | 0.2% |