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 10 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:
These are the worst small towns in Rhode Island for 2023:
So what is the worst small town to call home in Rhode Island for 2023? According to the most recent census data, Bradford 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 Bradford 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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Rhode Island For 2023
1. Bradford
/10
Population: 1,315
Median Home Value: $252,000 (worst)
Unemployment Rate: 14.3% (worst)
2. Greene
/10
Population: 1,032
Median Home Value: $290,100 (5th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (8th worst)
3. Hope Valley
/10
Population: 1,717
Median Home Value: $327,000 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 8.8% (3rd worst)
4. Chepachet
/10
Population: 1,691
Median Home Value: $252,300 (2nd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (10th worst)
5. Narragansett Pier
/10
Population: 3,265
Median Home Value: $569,700 (9th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.5% (2nd worst)
6. Harmony
/10
Population: 1,493
Median Home Value: $321,700 (7th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (7th worst)
7. Pascoag
/10
Population: 4,471
Median Home Value: $258,300 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (6th worst)
8. Ashaway
/10
Population: 1,539
Median Home Value: $255,000 (3rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0% (10th worst)
9. Harrisville
/10
Population: 1,459
Median Home Value: $321,500 (6th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.1% (4th worst)
10. Melville
/10
Population: 1,838
Median Home Value: $1,000 (1000th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (5th worst)
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 2017-2021 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 – 10 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 2023, 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.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Rhode Island, according to science:
- Ashaway (Pop. 1,539)
- Harrisville (Pop. 1,459)
- Melville (Pop. 1,838)
For more Rhode Island reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Rhode Island
Rank | Town | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Bradford | 1,315 |
2 | Greene | 1,032 |
3 | Hope Valley | 1,717 |
4 | Chepachet | 1,691 |
5 | Narragansett Pier | 3,265 |
6 | Harmony | 1,493 |
7 | Pascoag | 4,471 |
8 | Ashaway | 1,539 |
9 | Harrisville | 1,459 |
10 | Melville | 1,838 |
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.