Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 8,002.
Charlestown grades A overall, ranked 16th of 38 in Rhode Island, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns and it reports less crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $109K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $697K for a typical one and 8 times the Providence metro’s $87K median household income. 22% of the land in Charlestown is conserved, above both Rhode Island’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). No town in Rhode Island scores lower than Charlestown on history. Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, at 415 acres with 4.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Charlestown beats most towns.
Coastal flooding makes up 12% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
33% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, so the town is fuller in summer than its census count suggests.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Rhode Island), ordered by how far Charlestown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,022 in 1790, a low of 759 in 1920, 7,997 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1637 and 7 maps from 1889 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Charlestown. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi MuseumThe Breakers
23 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
20 mi MuseumMarble House
35 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
21 mi MuseumThe Elms
23 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun ArenaThe Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Charlestown, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Charlestown.
Charlestown is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Rhode Island; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Rhode Island and has a long record of flood insurance claims.
60 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Charlestown’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, above both the Rhode Island town median (0.8) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge | 4.6 mi | 415 |
| 2. Kimball Refuge | 0.5 mi | 29 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Chariho school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 246 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within RI on state tests and graduation
Within Rhode Island it is healthier than 62% of the 38 graded towns: Rhode Island sets a high bar. Its widest gap with Rhode Island is housing insecurity: 7.4% of its 6,853 adults worry about keeping their housing, against 13.1% statewide.
28% of adults feel lonely in Charlestown. Charlestown beats the Rhode Island average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Charlestown.
| Charlestown | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 25% |
| What stands out | Charlestown | RI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.4% | 13.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 15.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Charlestown’s property crime rate is 2.9 per 1,000 residents. Rhode Island has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Charlestown sits closer to the middle.
| Charlestown | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 8 years of the Providence metro’s $87K median household income, the typical home (about $697K) costs more against local pay than in 78% of Rhode Island towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. 60.7% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48% across Rhode Island.
92% of Charlestown households own their home. The typical Charlestown home is worth about $697,000, up 4.1% in a year, 37% above the Rhode Island typical home.
| Charlestown | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 92% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,374 a month | $1,366 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Charlestown for work: only 9% work in town. Since 2013, Charlestown has added 264 jobs, to 1,210 in 2023. The average trip to work in Charlestown is 28 minutes.
| Charlestown | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 19% | 13% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.2% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Charlestown has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Only 2 of the 38 Rhode Island towns we compare have a lower July high than Charlestown.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 27% of residents (19% statewide). Only 2 of the 38 Rhode Island towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Charlestown. 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Rhode Island.
| Charlestown | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.3 years | 43.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 13% | 18% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 37% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across Rhode Island, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Charlestown | RI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.8% | 10% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.2% | 8.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.8% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.7% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.5% | 13.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.5% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.6% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 10.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.5% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.7% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.7% | 8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.8% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.6% | 15.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
184 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 184 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Charlestown.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Charlestown
About 7 of every 100 Charlestown residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Rhode Island.
Where Charlestown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 places in Charlestown on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Charlestown.
Town in Rhode Island, United States
Charlestown, nicknamed C-Town by locals, is a town on the southern coastline of Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Charlestown is bordered by Westerly to the west, Richmond to the north divided by the Pawcatuck River, and South Kingstown to the east, with the Block Island Sound to the south. Charlestown, similarly to Westerly, Rhode Island, is a tourist destination during the months of May through October for destinations such as the Charlestown Breachway, East Beach, and more.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Charlestown.
| Town | RI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown | #16 | A | C | A− | B+ | A |
| Richmond | #12 | A | D | A | B+ | A+ |
| South Kingstown | #13 | A | D | A | B+ | A |
| Hopkinton | #17 | A− | C | A | B+ | A |
| Carolina | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Westerly | #20 | A− | C− | B+ | B | A |
| Bradford | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Carolina and Bradford aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Charlestown with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Charlestown grades A overall, better than 86% of U.S. towns and #16 of 38 in Rhode Island. It grades A for health, A− for safety and B+ for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Rhode Island has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Charlestown sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Joseph Stanton Jr. and Elbridge Thomas Gerry.
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