Is being in an area of Rhode Island 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 look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Rhode Island have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Ocean State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
19.7% growth since 2010 · 1,206 net new residents
Located in
Washington County, Rhode Island
Kingston is a village and a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic District.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
17.1% growth since 2010 · 3,310 net new residents
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
10.9% growth since 2010 · 795 net new residents
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
10.6% growth since 2010 · 828 net new residents
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
9.9% growth since 2010 · 1,139 net new residents
Located in
Providence County, Rhode Island
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
7.6% growth since 2010 · 13,481 net new residents
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
5.9% growth since 2010 · 4,231 net new residents
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
4.9% growth since 2010 · 859 net new residents
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
4.4% growth since 2010 · 1,839 net new residents
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
3.3% growth since 2010 · 2,670 net new residents
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
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Rhode Island’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Rhode Island’s growth is happening
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Ocean State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since 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 2024)
We ranked all 15 Rhode Island cities with a population over 7,000 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].
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in Rhode Island.
The full plate
Fastest Growing Places In Rhode Island For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingston | 7,332 | 6,126 | 19.7% | 1,206 |
| 2 | Central Falls | 22,701 | 19,391 | 17.1% | 3,310 |
| 3 | Tiverton | 8,091 | 7,296 | 10.9% | 795 |
| 4 | Cumberland Hill | 8,648 | 7,820 | 10.6% | 828 |
| 5 | Valley Falls | 12,657 | 11,518 | 9.9% | 1,139 |
| 6 | Providence | 191,767 | 178,286 | 7.6% | 13,481 |
| 7 | Pawtucket | 75,893 | 71,662 | 5.9% | 4,231 |
| 8 | Westerly | 18,411 | 17,552 | 4.9% | 859 |
| 9 | Woonsocket | 43,521 | 41,682 | 4.4% | 1,839 |
| 10 | Cranston | 83,250 | 80,580 | 3.3% | 2,670 |
| 11 | Newport | 24,874 | 24,957 | -0.3% | -83 |
| 12 | East Providence | 47,281 | 47,491 | -0.4% | -210 |
| 13 | Warwick | 83,175 | 83,676 | -0.6% | -501 |
| 14 | Newport East | 11,069 | 11,637 | -4.9% | -568 |
| 15 | Greenville | 8,296 | 8,767 | -5.4% | -471 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2010-current. 15 Rhode Island cities with more than 7,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: 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 Kingston which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Rhode Island are Kingston, Central Falls, Tiverton, Cumberland Hill, Valley Falls, Providence, Pawtucket, Westerly, Woonsocket, and Cranston.
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!
