Rhode Island›Newport County

MelvilleRI

A town of 1,631.

3 bordering townsMap →

Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,631

Census survey, 2020–24

Is Melville a good place to live?

Melville’s median rent is $2,724 a month, above both the Rhode Island town median ($1,368 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). No town among the 39 in Rhode Island we compare has a higher share of children under 18 than Melville. We don’t grade Melville yet; the figures below are still real.

A growing town

Melville has grown 22% from 2010 to 2020

1,320 counted in 2010 and 1,609 in 2020.

1,3202010

1,6092020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

Aerial view of US Naval Fuel Depot, 1939

Melville’s story

Melville in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939.

Explore the history →

Nearby attractions

The Breakers and 78 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Melville. Close and well known come first.

All 238 attractions →

Big draw6 mi MuseumThe Breakers

4 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour

Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium

12 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts

7 mi MuseumMarble House

6 mi MuseumThe Elms

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Melville: who provides what

Melville is unincorporated, so Newport County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerRhode Island Energy29.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterNewport-City of water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesNewport CountyNewport County provides services here

SchoolsPortsmouth School District Middletown School District2 districts serve Melville; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Rhode Island you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereMiddletown Board of CanvassersTown of Middletown; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2024

ZIP codes02842, 0287102842 75% · 02871 25%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Melville.

Natural hazards

Low risk in Melville, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.

20risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanes

Full pageMelville’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesLow risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters18 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready0.5 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In Melville, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Melville has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Melville is 81°F.

26″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter26–41°

Spring39–57°

Summer62–79°

Fall47–63°

Nov 4

typical first frost

Apr 11

typical last frost

+2.0°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageMelville’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 81°, January lows 23°Rain & snow26″ of snow a winter · 48 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+2.0° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commute

The average trip to work in Melville is shorter than in most of Rhode Island or the rest of the country

Melville’s average trip to work is 14 minutes. Since 2013, Melville has added 252 jobs, to 829 in 2023. 1.6% of Melville residents live below the poverty line.

1%work in town

	Melville	Rhode Island towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	14 minutes	26 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	1.6%	6.8%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	1.5%	12%	8%
Median household income	$102,000	$104,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Melville1%

Middletown23%

Newport19%

Portsmouth6%

Providence6%

9 mi

median commute distance

829

jobs based in Melville

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageMelville’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here829 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work1% work in Melville Commute times14 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 9 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Health

A larger share of adults in Melville binge drink than in the typical Rhode Island or U.S. town

23% of adults binge drink in Melville. Of the 39 Rhode Island towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Melville. 18% of adults get no exercise outside work in Melville.

	Melville	Rhode Island towns	U.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)	23%	17%	16%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	23%	34%	35%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	6%	10%	12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	9.4%	13%	14%

32 measures vs. Rhode Island

13 better15 too close to call4 worse

What stands out	Melville	RI
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth	6%	14.2%
Fewer adults with heart disease	3%	6.3%
More binge drinkers	22.7%	16.8%

Newport Hospital

4.3 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: dental, mental health

Full pageMelville’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore binge drinkers Hospitals & doctors nearby4.3 miles to an ER · Newport Hospital How adults are doingFewer adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than RI on 13 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

1.1% of Melville is conserved land

2.7 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.

1.1%conserved

1.1%

conserved · 36 of 3,262 acres

2.7 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Full pageMelville’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map2.7 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walkPick a walk Conserved land1.1% conserved · 36 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Melville?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Melville

15pages on Melville

The big questions

HealthBetter than RI on 13 of 32 CDC measures Work & commute$102K median household income · 829 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 20% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

Outdoors3 mi of trails · 1% conserved land PlacesAttractions238 nearby · Union Church 2 mi LibraryMiddletown Public Library CollegesSalve Regina University is 6.1 mi away

The story

HistoryClimate81° summer highs · 26″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

7 within 15 miles of the center of Melville

Salve Regina UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Newport6.1 mi$50,100 tuition University of Rhode IslandUniversity or college · Public · Kingston12.8 mi$16,942 in-state tuition Community College of Rhode IslandCommunity college · Public · Warwick14.1 mi$5,550 in-state tuition

College town 23 of every 100 Melville residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Rhode Island.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Melville

Census-designated place in Rhode Island, United States

Melville is a census-designated place (CDP) in the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. It lies along the shore of Narragansett Bay. As of the 2020 census, Melville had a population of 1,609. The CDP is named after Admiral George Wallace Melville. Past names for the area include Portsmouth Grove and Bradford.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)