Celebrity real estate RI: Which famous names bought homes in Rhode Island in 2024?

As the birthplace of celebrities like Olivia Culpo and Debra Messing, Rhode Island is known to breed talent. But it also attracts it — Rhode Island’s real estate market is historically known for its A-list buyers.

Many big names have moved to Rhode Island over the years. Perhaps most notably, singer Taylor Swift bought a $17 million waterfront mansion in Westerly in 2013, which she later wrote the song “the last great american dynasty” about.

And of course, the state was home to a swath of rich and famous families who moved to Newport during the Gilded Age.

Here’s what to know about this year’s biggest celebrity real estate stories in Rhode Island.

Comedian Matt Rife buys 80-acre property in Rhode Island

Earlier this year, comedian Matt Rife bought an 80-acre property in Rhode Island, he said on a podcast in August.

In an interview with comedians H. Foley and Kevin Ryan on their “Are You Garbage?” podcast, Rife said he wasn’t initially considering buying a home in Rhode Island – “it wasn’t even in the top 10 states I looked at,” he said – but ended up finding a property that matched what he was looking for.

Rife said he chose the Ocean State in part due to its convenience for traveling, and also because he was looking for a home in an area near a good comedy scene.

“I got all that for probably the price of a 2 bedroom with no yard in LA,” Rife said.

Celebrities with homes in Rhode Island: Some of these you know. Some you won’t.

Other celebrities who own homes in Rhode Island

While there weren’t any other celebrities reported to have bought homes in Rhode Island this year, several other big names already call the state home.

Here’s a list of some of the celebrities who already own homes in Rhode Island:

• Taylor Swift owns a mansion dubbed “Holiday House” in Westerly’s Watch Hill neighborhood.
• Christopher Walken has owned a home on Block Island since 1999.
• Conan O’Brien owns a vacation home in Westerly, which his family bought in 1997.
• Jay Leno has a mansion on Ocean Drive in Newport that dates back to the Gilded Age.
• Judge Judy Sheindlin owns a Newport mansion dubbed “Bird House.”