Untitled photo, 1891
Watch Hill’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1876.
- 1871Watch Hill is settled
Watch HillRI
Population
203
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$2M
Census ACS
Household income
$169K
median
Median age
61.9
years
Jobs based here
267
A job hub
Is Watch Hill a good place to live?
71% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Watch Hill, above both Rhode Island’s towns (38%) and U.S. towns (29%). Of the 39 Rhode Island towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Watch Hill. Watch Hill has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Watch Hill stand out
Where Watch Hill beats most towns.
By the sea
Watch Hill lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 34% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
34%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
80thpercentile for hurricane risk
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Nearby attractions
All 145 attractions →The Breakers and 66 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Watch Hill. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi MuseumThe Breakers
32 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
18 mi Stadium & arenaMohegan Sun Arena
30 mi MuseumMarble House
30 mi MuseumThe Elms
7 mi MuseumMystic SeaportSources: 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 · Mohegan Sun Arena: Bbjeter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mystic Seaport: Joethon, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Watch Hill: who provides what
Watch Hill is unincorporated, so Washington County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerRhode Island Energy29.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWesterly Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWashington CountyWashington 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 hereWesterly Board of CanvassersTown of Westerly; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code0289102891 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 Watch Hill.
Work & commute
With 3.5 jobs for every working resident, Watch Hill draws in 260 commuters
Most working residents leave Watch Hill for work: only 9% work in town. Since 2013, Watch Hill has added 53 jobs, to 267 in 2023. 12% of Watch Hill residents live below the poverty line, where Rhode Island’s towns sit at 6.8% and U.S. towns at 9.6%.
9%work in town
| Watch Hill | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.1% | 12% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Watch Hill9%
Westerly36%
New London4%
Norwich4%
Providence4%
13 mi
median commute distance
267
jobs based in Watch Hill
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Watch Hill
Watch Hill has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Watch Hill’s July high is 81°F.
25″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–41°
Spring40–56°
Summer62–78°
Fall47–63°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 11
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults feel lonely in Watch Hill than in most of Rhode Island or the rest of the country
26% of adults feel lonely in Watch Hill. Among 39 Rhode Island towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Watch Hill. 12% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Watch Hill.
| Watch Hill | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 88% | 85% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.6% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Rhode Island
20 better8 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Watch Hill | RI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5% | 13.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.9% | 15.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.5% | 8.4% |
Westerly Hospital
3.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Watch Hill stands out in Rhode Island and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Of the 39 Rhode Island towns we compare, none has a higher FEMA risk score than Watch Hill.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCoastal floodingHurricanes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Watch Hill
15pages on Watch Hill
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Watch Hill
University of Connecticut-Avery PointUniversity or college · Public · Groton, CT11.3 mi$18,140 in-state tuitionMitchell CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New London, CT12.9 mi$40,490 tuitionUnited States Coast Guard AcademyUniversity or college · Public · New London, CT13.8 mi
About 5 of every 100 Watch Hill residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Rhode Island.
Small town
203 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MisquamicutWatch Hill
About Watch Hill
Census-designated place in Rhode Island, United States
Watch Hill is an affluent coastal neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, Watch Hill had a population of 212. It sits at the most-southwestern point in Rhode Island. It came to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th century as an exclusive summer resort, with wealthy families building sprawling Victorian-style "cottages" along the peninsula. Watch Hill is characterized by The New York Times as a community "with a strong sense of privacy and of discreetly used wealth," in contrast with "the overpowering castles of the very rich" in nearby Newport.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
Questions about Watch Hill
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Watch Hill, RI a good place to live?
Watch Hill has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.