Rhode Island

7 Undiscovered Small Towns in Rhode Island

Published

2 years ago

September 1, 2024

7 Undiscovered Small Towns in Rhode Island

Rhode Island is a tiny New England state with a rich history combined with miles of natural beauty, making it the perfect weekend getaway or family vacation destination. What the small state lacks in size, it makes up for interesting attractions and landmarks, including beautiful Gilded Age mansions, sandy Atlantic Ocean beaches, sweet seaside towns, and sprawling modern cities. One way to immerse yourself in all that Rhode Island has to offer is by exploring its undiscovered small towns, such as these charming seven.

While some of these towns, like Newport and Woonsocket, may be familiar names, they each harbor lesser-known treasures that make them feel like hidden gems in their own right.

Little Compton

Aerial view of the beachfront campground in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

If you love being on the water or just being surrounded by peaceful water views, the quaint town of Little Compton may be the perfect place for you. It’s blessed with the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the scenic Sakonnet River to the west, as well as plenty of places to rent kayaks, canoes, and even yachts for the day. Get hooked up with everything you need for a day on the ocean or river at Sakonnet Charters or Islander Charters. You could also bring your own personal watercraft and dock it at the Sakonnet Point Marina.

If just relaxing on a sandy beach or splashing in the water is more your thing, you’re in luck in Little Compton, which boasts five beaches, including South Shore Beach, Goosewing Beach, and Tappens Beach. Take in the view of the historic Sakonnet Point Lighthouse, which can be viewed from the beach on Sakonnet Point. Learn more about the region’s history by visiting the WiIlbor House and Museum, which dates back to the late 1600s.

Glocester

With a population of just under 10,000, gorgeous Glocester offers the best of both worlds. It has no shortage of modern conveniences, including a mix of casual and gourmet easters, quaint cafes and interesting historical and natural atttractions, yet still retains plenty of small-town charm. One of area’s most popular destinations is the Pulaski State Park and Recreational Area, which is a 100-acre park complete with a pond for kayaking and canoeing, and trails for hiking and biking.

Nature lovers can also spend time at the Durfee Hill Management Area, another great place to hike among lush forests and wildlife habitats. Anglers can even cast a line at the onsite Burlingame Reservoir. History buffs won’t want to miss a trip to the Job Armstrong Museum, which offers an introspective look into the region’s unique past through several exhibits.

New Shoreham

If you’re looking to get away from it all during your next getaway or vacation, tiny New Shoreham is calling your name. The seaside destination has the distinction of being the smallest town in the smallest state, as well as Block Island’s only town. What the town lacks in size, however, it makes up for in beautiful scenery, fun attractions, and a warm and welcoming community. New Shoreham offers two man-made harbors, more than 17 miles of beachfront and 30 miles of hiking trails, and 300 freshwater ponds.

While you’re in the area, check out impressive Mohegan Bluffs, a set of 200-foot cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean for once-in-a-lifetime views. If you’re visiting during the summer months, take tours of the Southwest and North Lighthouses, each known for their historical significance and unique architectural details. The town is also home to several beaches for relaxing or boating, including the pretty Mansion Beach.

Tiverton

Tiverton may be a small town, but it’s not lacking anything when it comes to amenities, cultural and historical attractions, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Located on the shores of Narragansett Bay in beautiful Newport County, Tiverton is also situated across the Sakonnet River, making it a water-lovers paradise. You can take a scenic walk over the Skaonnet River Bridge or explore the waterways by boat, which can be rented from local outfitters such as Riverside Marina.

If you want to go swimming or just relax on the sandy shores, spend a day on the beautiful Fogland Beach, a local summer hotspot. You can also go kayaking or canoeing, surfing, or boating, depending on where your passions lie. You could also go hiking or biking along the almost 2-mile trail at the Emilie Ruecker Wildlife Refuge or check out the Tiverton Four Corners Historic District, which features historic buildings dating back to the 1800s.

Jamestown

As interesting as it is beautiful, historic Jamestown dates back to 1678 when it was incorporated as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town is situated on Conanicut Island and is filled with scenic farms and parks and miles of coastline for boating, fishing, surfing, or just relaxing in the sun. In addition to all of the natural beauty, Jamestown also has a charming downtown filled with art galleries, boutiques, antique shops, eateries, and cafes.

Another notable place to visit is the Jamestown Archaeological District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places because it’s home to New England’s largest American Indian cemetery. History lovers also won’t want to miss the Beavertail Lighthouse, which was constructed in 1856. Tour the lighthouse and the adjacent museum to learn about its fascinating history at the entrance to Narragansett Bay.

Newport

Newport, though one of Rhode Island’s more famous towns, still has hidden corners and lesser-known experiences that capture the essence of small-town New England charm. Newport is also home to several famous museums, such as the Naval War College Museum, the Herreshoff Marine Museum, and the unique Newport Car Museum. Sign up to take a historic mansion tour to view the town’s abundance of turn-of-the-century summer “cottages” of the rich and famous.

Get acquainted with the town quickly by strolling down Thames Street and through the Brick Market Place, which features almost 30 charming shops, restaurants serving local fare, and cafes. Don’t miss The Breakers, which was once the home of the Vanderbilts, the wealthiest family in the country at the time. Also, check out the town’s 3.5-mile Cliff Walk or visit Newport Vineyards if you’re a wine enthusiast.

Woonsocket

While Woonsocket is one of the larger and more recognized destinations on this list, it offers a surprising blend of small-town charm and unique attractions that often go unnoticed by visitors. Rhode Island’s northernmost city, Woonsocket, is blessed with both historical and cultural attractions and has no shortage of natural beauty. The town is known for the Museum of Work and Culture, an interactive attraction operated by the Rhode Island Historical Society. It tells the story of the French Canadians who first worked in the New England factories.

Nature lovers will delight in Woonsocket’s abundance of city parks, including Bernon Park, Cold Spring Park, and Costa Park, where they can participate in activities such as hiking, biking, kayaking and canoeing, and fishing. If arts and culture are more your thing, the Stadium Theatre is the place where visitors and locals alike enjoy taking in all types of live entertainment, such as plays, music and dance concerts, and bands.

Experience the Authentic Charm of Rhode Island

Rhode Island may be a tiny state, but it has no shortage of appealing small towns to call home for a few days or even several weeks, depending on what type of trip you’re taking. While the state’s big cities and more well-known towns, like Newport and Woonsocket, have their charms, it’s in these towns—whether famous or lesser-known—where you can truly experience life in the small New England state. Whether you want to lounge on a sunny beach all day or tour historic mansions, lighthouses, and more, these small towns offer a unique blend of attractions that make them perfect for any getaway.

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Rhode Island

Think you’re middle class in Rhode Island? Here’s the income range

Published

1 hour ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Think you’re middle class in Rhode Island? Here’s the income range

Your household can earn more than $160,000 a year and still be considered part of the “middle class” in Rhode Island, according to a recent study by SmartAsset.

Rhode Island is the state with the 17th-highest income range for households to be considered middle class, based on SmartAsset’s analysis using 2024 income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households earning roughly two-thirds to twice the national median household income.

According to a 2022 Gallup survey, about half of U.S. adults consider themselves middle class, with 38% identifying as “middle class” and 14% as “upper-middle class.” Higher-income Americans and college graduates were most likely to identify with the “middle class” or “upper-middle class,” while lower-income Americans and those without a college education generally identified as “working class” or “lower class.”

Here’s how much money your household would need to bring in annually to be considered middle class in Rhode Island.

How much money would you need to make to be considered middle class in RI?

In Rhode Island, households would need to earn between $55,669 and $167,008 annually to be considered middle class, according to SmartAsset. The Ocean State has the 17th-highest income range in the country for middle-class households.

The state’s median household income is $83,504.

How do other New England states compare?

Rhode Island has the fourth-highest income range for middle-class households in New England. Here’s what households would have to earn in neighboring states:

Massachusetts (#1 nationally) – $69,885 to $209,656 annually; median household income of $104,828
New Hampshire (#6 nationally) – $66,521 to $199,564 annually; median household income of $99,782
Connecticut (#10 nationally) – $64,033 to $192,098 annually; median household income of $96,049
Rhode Island (#17 nationally) – $55,669 to $167,008 annually; median household income of $83,504
Vermont (#19 nationally) – $55,153 to $165,460 annually; median household income of $82,730
Maine (#30 nationally) – $50,961 to $152,884 annually; median household income of $76,442

Which state has the highest middle-class income range?

Massachusetts ranks as the state with the highest income range to be considered middle class, according to SmartAsset. Households there would need to earn between $69,900 and $209,656 annually. The state’s median household income is $104,828.

Which state has the lowest middle-class income range?

Mississippi ranks last for the income range needed to be considered middle class, according to SmartAsset. Households there would need to earn between $39,418 and $118,254 annually. The state’s median household income is $59,127.

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Rhode Island

AARP report highlights scale and value of unpaid caregiving in Rhode Island

Published

13 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

AARP report highlights scale and value of unpaid caregiving in Rhode Island

“Nationally there are 59 million Americans who are providing care for a loved one and that is 49.5 billion hours of care annually. It’s valued at a trillion dollars,” said Catherine Taylor, the director of AARP Rhode Island; AARP, the nation’s largest non- profit, dedicated to empowering people 50 and older.

In Rhode Island, the report shows 155,000 people serve as caregivers, providing 111 million hours of care.

Barbara Morse reports on unpaid caregivers. (WJAR)

“The total impact is $2.8 billion a year,” said Taylor.

It’s not just babysitting a loved one.

Catherine Taylor, the director of AARP Rhode Island, spoke with NBC 10’s Barbara Morse about the value of caregiving. (WJAR)

“People are doing a lot more nursing tasks, you know–wound care, injections and things like that and they’re doing a lot more intensive daily care, like bathing, and dressing and feeding than we used to,” she said.

Its latest report–“Valuing the Invaluable.”

“The whole point of this report is to draw attention to how many family care givers there are and what the magnitude of what the need is for their support,” said Taylor.

That includes financial support and respite care.

AARP wants you to know this:

An older man using equipment in a gym. (FILE)

In Rhode Island, temporary caregiver insurance or TCI is available to folks who qualify, for up to eight weeks.

There are federal tax credits you may qualify for. There is help.

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“All you have to do is call 211 and say you’re a family caregiver and they will connect you to all of AARP’S trusted information, including a Rhode Island specific guide on resources for caregivers,” she said.

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Rhode Island

A new safety role at Rhode Island College comes into sharper focus after Brown shooting – The Boston Globe

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

A new safety role at Rhode Island College comes into sharper focus after Brown shooting – The Boston Globe

Lawrence was recently named RIC’s first emergency management director, a role college leaders had been planning before the December mass shooting across town at Brown University, but which took on new urgency after the tragedy.

Few resumes are better suited to the job.

A 20-year career in the New York Police Department. Commanding officer of the NYPD’s Employee Assistance Unit. A master’s degree from Harvard.

Lawrence got to Rhode Island the way a lot of people do: through someone who grew up here and never really left, at least not in spirit. Her husband, Brooke Lawrence, grew up in West Greenwich, and is director of the town’s emergency management agency.

“I couldn’t imagine retiring in my 40s,” Lawrence told me. “And I couldn’t imagine not giving back to my community.”

Public service has been part of Lawrence’s life for as long as she can remember. A New Jersey native, she dreamed of following in the footsteps of her mentor, a longtime FBI agent. She graduated from Monmouth University and earned a master’s degree in forensic psychology from John Jay College in 2001, shortly before the Sept. 11 attacks.

There was high demand for police in New York at the time, so Lawrence raised her hand to serve. She worked her way up the ranks from patrol to lieutenant, eventually taking charge of the department’s Employee Assistance Unit, a peer support program that helps rank-and-file officers navigate the most traumatic parts of the job. She later earned a second master’s degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

“It’s making sure our officers are getting through their career in the same mental capacity as they came on the job,” Lawrence said.

There’s a version of Lawrence’s new job that feels routine, especially at a quiet commuter campus like Rhode Island College. And when Lawrence was initially hired part-time last fall, it probably was.

Then the shooting at Brown University changed the stakes almost overnight.

On Dec. 13, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national and one-time student at Brown, opened fire inside the Barus and Holley building, killing two students and injuring nine others. Neves Valente also killed an MIT professor before he was found dead in a New Hampshire storage unit of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In eerie videos recorded in the storage unit, Neves Valente admitted that he stalked the Brown campus for weeks prior to his attack. He largely went unnoticed by campus security, which led the university’s police chief to be placed on leave and essentially replaced by former Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh Clements.

Lawrence assisted with the response at Brown. She leads the trauma response team for the Rhode Island Behavioral Health Medical Reserve Corps, which staffed the family reunification center in the hours after the shooting.

RIC’s campus is more enclosed than Brown’s — there are only two major entryways to the college — but there are unique challenges.

For one, it’s technically located in both Providence and North Providence, which requires coordination between multiple public safety departments in both communities.

More specifically, Lawrence noted that every building on campus has the same address, which can present a challenge in an emergency. Lawrence has worked with RIC leadership and local public safety to assign an address to each building.

Lawrence stressed that she doesn’t want RIC to overreact to the tragedy at Brown, and she said campus leaders are committed to keeping the tight-knit community intact.

But she admits that the shooting remains top of mind.

“Every campus community sees what happened at Brown and says ‘please don’t let that happen to us,’” Lawrence said.

Lawrence said everyone at RIC feels a deep sense of responsibility to keep students safe during their time on campus.

And she already feels right at home.

“I want to come home from work every day and feel like I made a difference,” she said.

Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.

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