A job hub: Watch Hill has 3.5 jobs per working resident, and 260 people come in to work
267 jobs are based in Watch Hill, and 77 of its residents work somewhere. About one in ten work in Watch Hill itself; outside it, Westerly draws the most (36%, 2 miles). 15% of workers have no commute at all, where Rhode Island as a whole has 13%.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
In and out of Watch Hill on a workday
On a workday 70 residents head out to work and 7 work right here.
About 390 people are in Watch Hill on a workday afternoon, 94% more than live here.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Who travels to work in Watch Hill, and from where
Where Watch Hill clocks in
36% of workers
4% of workers
4% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Mostly health care, schools and offices in Watch Hill
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Watch Hill, 2013 → 2023: 214 → 267. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Watch Hill’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Working from home in Watch Hill
of Watch Hill workers work from home, vs 13% across Rhode Island. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 55 commuters (the 15% who work from home are left out). Across Rhode Island: 83% drive alone, 2% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Watch Hill’s commute, mile by mile
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Work in the towns next to Watch Hill
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Watch Hill workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watch Hill | – | — | — | — | $168,750 |
| Misquamicut | under 3% | — | — | 32 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Misquamicut: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Watch Hill’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Watch Hill: questions
What is the median household income in Watch Hill?
$168,750 (±$153,575) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $87,796 across Rhode Island and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Watch Hill?
12.3%, against 11.2% across Rhode Island and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
Where do people who live in Watch Hill work?
9% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Westerly (36%, 2 mi), New London (4%, 13 mi), Norwich (4%, 20 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Watch Hill without a car?
11% of commuters take transit and 0% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Watch Hill, from the people who make the trip.
More of Watch Hill
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.