The top 10 richest towns in Rhode Island include some that most people would easily guess, but also a few that will surprise even natives.
The Providence Journal tallied up which communities in Rhode Island have the highest incomes, going by the U.S. Census Bureau's tabulation of median household income, which is generally considered the most accurate way to compare the income of two areas. The median household income is the middle value in a list of the total income of all members of each household in a community. Half the households will make more, half less.
To paint a fuller picture, The Journal also looked at per capita income, which is the average of how much each person in a community makes, and also the median sales price of a single-family house in a community.
All figures are the latest available. The income numbers come from the Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey, and the house prices come from the September 2023 report of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors.
Where do the richest people in Rhode Island live?
The richest people in Rhode Island live in towns, not cities. The richest city, Cranston, comes in at No. 27 on the list. That leaves 26 of the 31 towns in Rhode Island with higher incomes, while the state's eight cities are clustered near the bottom.
Here are the richest towns in RI
East Greenwich has the highest median household income in Rhode Island at $133,373, coming in almost three grand ahead of No. 2 Barrington. But for per capita income, East Greenwich comes in No. 3, with $71,096, trailing Little Compton and Jamestown. East Greenwich's median house price of $770,000 comes in at No. 7.
2. Barrington
Barrington's median household income is $130,455, making it the second highest in Rhode Island. Its per capita income also trails East Greenwich slightly, coming in No. 4, at $69,917. But the town's median house price of $904,950 beats East Greenwich and comes in No. 4 statewide.
West Greenwich's median household income of $126,402 is good for third highest in Rhode Island, but its per capita income, $44,457, is only 14th highest. Its median single family house price of $765,000 comes in at 8th highest.
4. Jamestown
Jamestown has a median household income of $120,129, which is the 4th highest in Rhode Island. Its per capita income of $74,159, though, is second highest in the state (Little Compton has the highest per capita income in Rhode Island at $81,912 but the median household income of $96,111 is only 14th best in the state). Median single-family house prices in Jamestown are $915,000, trailing Block Island, $1.85 million, and Newport, $980,000.
5. Cumberland
Median household income: $104,613
Per capita income: $46,179 (12th highest)
Single-family house price: $488,000 (21st)
6. Scituate
Median household income: $104,388
Per capita income: $50,027 (8th)
Single-family house price: $486,000 (22nd)
More:Are you in the middle class in Rhode Island? Here's the minimum income for a family in RI.
7. Portsmouth
Median household income: $104,073
Per capita income: $54,981 (5th)
Single-family house prices: $600,000 (12th)
Median household income: $104,026
Per capita income: $52,035 (6th)
Single-family house price: $710,000 (10th)
Median household income: $102,242
Per capita income: $42,080 (22nd)
Single-family house prices: $585,000 (15th)
10. Richmond
Median household income: $104,493
Per capita income: $44,904 (13th)
Single-family house prices: $546,000 (17th).
The rest of the towns and cities, ranked
11. Foster12. Glocester13. Burrillville14. Little Compton15. Exeter16. Lincoln17. Coventry18. Middletown19. Smithfield20. Hopkinton21. North Smithfield22. Charlestown23. Tiverton24. Narragansett25. Westerly26. Bristol27. Cranston28. Warwick29. Newport30. Warren31. Johnston32. New Shoreham33. North Providence34. East Providence35. West Warwick36. Pawtucket37. Providence38. Woonsocket39. Central Falls
