2021 Best Places to Live in Washington County

Kingston

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• Rating 4.1 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: Living in Kingston proves to be a great place to live for me. I am a student at URI and the commute is not too far from campus. There is also always stuff to do with friends on the weekends. I love it!...Read 10 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• 6,513 Population

North Kingstown

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• Rating 3.93 out of 5  58 reviews

Current Resident: North Kingstown is a cute little town located in a great spot in Rhode Island! It is close to the water and has numerous shops, restaurants, and attractions. In addition to its modern style, North Kingstown also is home to Wickford Village, a historic, beautiful, and quaint village. It is a great place to live and visit!...Read 58 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• 26,235 Population

South Kingstown

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• Rating 3.86 out of 5  66 reviews

Current Resident: South Kingstown is a very welcoming community. They have beautiful beaches, wonderful shops, and tantalizing cuisine. The town is a safe environment to raise a family and live peacefully. South Kingstown is home to two of South County's scenic beaches, tranquil farmlands, and historic landmarks. Downtown Wakefield is situated on the revitalized Saugatucket River, an architectural sight to behold. Unique shops and restaurants line Main St. featuring exquisite antiques, garden supplies, apparel, gifts, crafts, and more!...Read 66 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• 30,652 Population

Narragansett

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• Rating 4.29 out of 5  31 reviews

Works Here: I've lived near Narragansett most of my life, and I absolutely love it! Tourists are only a huge issue when it comes to driving, however. Sometimes, when I leave work, a simple 15-minute ride home can become a half-hour nightmare. Parking can sometimes be a hassle, but other than that, Narragansett is a beautiful city for anyone!...Read 31 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• 15,500 Population

Exeter

• Suburb in Rhode Island
• Rating 3.94 out of 5  16 reviews

Current Resident: I like that Exeter still feels like the country and where I live there is close enough to the highway to not be an inconvenience. There is a lot of nature to love and enjoy here! However, one thing that I do not enjoy that has changed from when I was a child growing up here it the constant flow of traffic. It is not often quiet here and cars and big trucks can constantly be heard...Read 16 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• 6,664 Population

Charlestown

• Town in Rhode Island
• Rating 4.33 out of 5  24 reviews

Current Resident: Quiet, beautiful, and friendly town. Summer time can be crowded by families and vacationers; however, becomes quiet again come fall until June.Read 24 Reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• 7,799 Population

Westerly

Current Resident: Westerly is a small Italian city like town surrounded by fairly rural communities. It has a small downtown area with nice food and activity options. Westerly is also a beach community making it fairly expensive and a high traffic area in the summer. Westerly has some great characteristics as listed above but due to the beach makes it expensive and hard to find good apartments affordably. A short drive from the highway is also another key factor with Westerly making it a great location for commuters. Westerly does not have many parking rules allowing parking on most streets so parking a vehicle should not be an issue. Westerly has great community features many gyms, a library, park, and even a DMV that operates solely on Fridays. While there are many great features to Westerly the price still turns away many people...Read 61 Reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• 22,544 Population

Narragansett Pier

• Suburb of Providence, RI
• Rating 4 out of 5  7 reviews

Niche User: Small tourist town. During the winter, many businesses are closed because the population decreases so much from the summer tourist population! I love living here, the town is beautiful. I love living next to the beach. The school system is awesome in Narragansett as well...Read 7 Reviews

• grade B+

• grade A

• 3,594 Population

Hopkinton

Nearby Resident: Nice and calm. Not too much to do in this town, but outdoor recreation here is very good. I like to go biking and kayaking here.Read 19 Reviews

• grade B

• grade A minus

• 8,097 Population

Ashaway

Current Resident: Quiet place to live - lots of easy day-hiking, a good playground, 15 minutes from beaches. Not much to do outside of this (not many shops or activities) - must go to neighboring towns (Westerly, Charlestown) for most activities and errands...Read 5 Reviews

• grade B

• grade A minus

• 1,195 Population

Richmond

• Town in Rhode Island
• Rating 3.81 out of 5  16 reviews

Current Resident: I've lived in Richmond, Rhode Island for pretty much my whole life and it truly was a great town to grow up in. From various parks and hiking trails to great schools where I've met some of my best friends, Richmond has some great hidden gems that easily turn into a go-to spot that I would recommend to anyone...Read 16 Reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• 7,653 Population

Watch Hill

• grade B

• grade B

• 141 Population

Misquamicut

Visitor: Misaquamicut is a very cute beach town. It's very touristy, but it's also got a few very nice locals. The beaches there are gorgeous and the weather is very nice. It's very close to places where you can go hiking and the greenery of the east coast is everywhere!...Read 1 Review

• grade B

• grade B

• 398 Population

New Shoreham

• Town in Rhode Island

• grade B

• grade B+

• 916 Population

Carolina

• Town in Rhode Island

• grade B minus

• grade A minus

• 803 Population

Hope Valley

• Town in Rhode Island
• Rating 4.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Current Resident: Hope Valley is a great place for families. Great schools, close to the highway but still has a rural feel. It's a good place to be.Read 5 Reviews

• grade C+

• grade A minus

• 1,823 Population

Quonochontaug

• Town in Rhode Island
• Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Niche User: Born and raised in Charlestown, RI I love it for everything it has to offer, even it's flaws. No matter where I live in my life that little beach town will always be my home. The people are happy and cheerful and always willing to help each other, even in wintertime this beach town is all happy and having fun. In the summer the population must triple at least and in come the Quonnies and Charlestown beachers for the summer. Most times summer people are awful but these beach house townies are some of the nicest you could possibly meet. (Though steer clear of some of the campers!) All in all Charlestown has some downs, like the fact that it's a trip to get to any stores or restaurants. City people wouldn't be fond of our wooded paradise. Charlestown is a wonderful place that will always be my home away from home...Read 1 Review

• grade C+

• grade A minus

• 535 Population

Weekapaug

• grade C

• grade B

• 417 Population

Bradford

• Town in Rhode Island
• Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: I have yet to have to deal with a crime of any sorts.Read 2 Reviews

• grade C

• grade B

• 1,303 Population

Wyoming

• Town in Rhode Island

• grade C minus

• grade A minus

• 340 Population