Elizabeth Buffum Chace, 2012
Valley Falls’s story
180 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2012.
- 1846Valley Falls is settled
Valley FallsRI
Population
12,657
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$375K
Census ACS
Household income
$93K
median
Median age
41.7
years
Jobs based here
1,607
A commuter town
Is Valley Falls a good place to live?
Of the 39 Rhode Island towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Valley Falls. We don’t grade Valley Falls yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Valley Falls stand out
Where Valley Falls beats most towns.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Valley Falls for work
Where Valley Falls’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,607jobs based in Valley Falls
3%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 268 attractions →Gillette Stadium and 203 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Valley Falls. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw25 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw32 mi MuseumThe Breakers
19 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
23 mi Ancient siteHMS EndeavourSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain
_underway_c1944.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Valley Falls: who provides what
Valley Falls is unincorporated, so Providence County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerRhode Island Energy29.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPawtucket Water Supply Board Veolia-NaNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesProvidence CountyProvidence County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereCumberland Board of CanvassersTown of Cumberland; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code0286402864 100%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 Valley Falls.
Work & commute
Most of Valley Falls’ workers head elsewhere: there are 0.3 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Providence (15%), Cumberland (10%) and Pawtucket (6%). Most people who work leave Valley Falls to do it: just 3% work in town. 4.1% of Valley Falls residents live below the poverty line, against 6.8% in Rhode Island’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The median commute is under 8 miles.
3%work in town
| Valley Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 13% | 11% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $104,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Valley Falls3%
Providence15%
Cumberland10%
Pawtucket6%
Lincoln5%
8 mi
median commute distance
1,607
jobs based in Valley Falls
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Top of a low hazard risk in Valley Falls: inland flooding
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Valley Falls comes to 32 of 100. Expected losses in Valley Falls break down as 70% from inland flooding and 7% from heat waves. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 1979: 17.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesHurricanes
17
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Valley Falls brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
No town among the 39 in Rhode Island we compare has a higher midsummer high than Valley Falls. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 48 inches of snow falls in a winter.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–40°
Spring38–58°
Summer60–81°
Fall43–63°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Rhode Island overall
17% of Valley Falls residents are 65 or older, where Rhode Island’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 18%. Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (24% statewide); children under 18 are 25% of residents (19% statewide). Among adults 25 and older, 29% have a four-year degree or more, against 38% across Rhode Island.
41.7median age · RI 40.6
| Valley Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 18% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 21% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 38% | 29% |
| Median age | 41.7 years | 43.9 years | 40.5 years |
Valley FallsRhode IslandUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma13%
High school29%
Some college20%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.6 points. Across Rhode Island, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Valley Falls | RI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.5% | 10% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.6% | 8.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.7% | 13.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.5% | 11% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.1% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.6% | 10.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.1% | 26.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.8% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.7% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.4% | 15.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Outdoors
Trail density in Valley Falls is lower than in the typical Rhode Island or U.S. town
Trails total 0.4 miles in 2 parks and preserves.
14.5%conserved
14.5%
conserved · 337 of 2,328 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Valley Falls Heritage Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Memorial Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Valley Falls is
For adults in Valley Falls, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 18%. 84% of adults locally had a checkup this year; 18% report frequent mental distress.
| Valley Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 85% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Rhode Island
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Valley Falls | RI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 67.7% | 71.2% |
The Miriam Hospital
5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Valley Falls sell for about $500K
Homes sold in Valley Falls spent a median 21 days on the market. 68% of Valley Falls households are owner-occupiers. In Valley Falls, three in five sales closed above the list price.
$500Kmedian sale price
| Valley Falls | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 68% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,362 a month | $1,368 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
21
days on market
101.7%
sale-to-list price
12
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Valley Falls
17pages on Valley Falls
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
9 within 15 miles of the center of Valley Falls
Providence CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Providence6.1 mi$63,550 tuitionRhode Island School of DesignUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Providence6.7 mi$62,688 tuitionRhode Island CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Providence6.8 mi$11,300 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Valley Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Rhode Island.
About Valley Falls
Village and census-designated place in Rhode Island, US
Valley Falls is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Cumberland, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 12,094 at the 2020 census. Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway was founded in 1839 by Oliver Chace in Valley Falls as a cotton-manufacturing company, called the Valley Falls Company. Valley Falls is also the home of the Ann & Hope Mill.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 105 ft
Valley Falls’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Valley Falls.
CumberlandLincolnCentral FallsAttleboroValley Falls
How the neighbors grade
| Town | RI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Falls | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cumberland | #9 | A | C− | A | A− | A− |
| Lincoln | #25 | B+ | C− | B | B+ | A |
| Central Falls | #38 | D− | C− | C+ | D− | D− |
Valley Falls isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Valley Falls with a neighbor →
Questions about Valley Falls
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Valley Falls, RI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Valley Falls yet; the figures below are still real.