Most Americans have never been to small town Rhode Island. However, as the Rhode Islander who live there know, small town Rhode Island is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Rhode Island has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Ocean State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 11 of Rhode Island’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Rhode Island where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Rhode Island for 2025:
- Pascoag
- Hope Valley
- Greene
- Narragansett Pier
- Chepachet
- Harrisville
- Carolina
- Melville
- Bradford
- Ashaway
So what is the worst small town to call home in Rhode Island for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Pascoag is the worst small town to live in Rhode Island.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Pascoag home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Rhode Island or the worst places to live in Rhode Island.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Rhode Island For 2025
1. Pascoag
/10
Population: 4,081
Median Home Value: $335,400
Median Income: $101,359
Unemployment Rate: 8.2%
2. Hope Valley
/10
Population: 2,147
Median Home Value: $424,100
Median Income: $98,481
Unemployment Rate: 6.9%
3. Greene
/10
Population: 1,009
Median Home Value: $358,200
Median Income: $102,000
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
4. Narragansett Pier
/10
Population: 3,080
Median Home Value: $771,800
Median Income: $79,683
Unemployment Rate: 7.4%
5. Chepachet
/10
Population: 1,819
Median Home Value: $285,600
Median Income: $95,423
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
6. Harrisville
/10
Population: 1,816
Median Home Value: $348,700
Median Income: $66,016
Unemployment Rate: 5.7%
7. Carolina
Population: 1,238
Median Home Value: $366,000
Median Income: $123,063
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
8. Melville
/10
Population: 1,840
Median Home Value: $1,000
Median Income: $103,393
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
9. Bradford
/10
Population: 1,437
Median Home Value: $387,100
Median Income: $108,295
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
10. Ashaway
/10
Population: 1,682
Median Home Value: $305,600
Median Income: $101,165
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Rhode Island is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Rhode Island, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 11 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Rhode Island.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Rhode Island
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Ocean State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Rhode Island are Pascoag, Hope Valley, Greene, Narragansett Pier, Chepachet, Harrisville, Carolina, Melville, Bradford, and Ashaway.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Rhode Island, according to science:
- Bradford (Pop. 1,437)
- Ashaway (Pop. 1,682)
- Harmony (Pop. 1,094)
For more Rhode Island reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Rhode Island
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pascoag | 4,081 | 8.2% | $335,400 | $101,359 |
| 2 | Hope Valley | 2,147 | 6.9% | $424,100 | $98,481 |
| 3 | Greene | 1,009 | 2.1% | $358,200 | $102,000 |
| 4 | Narragansett Pier | 3,080 | 7.4% | $771,800 | $79,683 |
| 5 | Chepachet | 1,819 | 0.0% | $285,600 | $95,423 |
| 6 | Harrisville | 1,816 | 5.7% | $348,700 | $66,016 |
| 7 | Carolina | 1,238 | 4.7% | $366,000 | $123,063 |
| 8 | Melville | 1,840 | 3.4% | $1,000 | $103,393 |
| 9 | Bradford | 1,437 | 5.0% | $387,100 | $108,295 |
| 10 | Ashaway | 1,682 | 0.0% | $305,600 | $101,165 |
| 11 | Harmony | 1,094 | 0.0% | $380,700 | $108,971 |
Harrisville is not a town. It is one of a number of villages within the town of Burrillville. Therefore it is unfair to judge it in terms of population, income, and economics.