Town · Rhode Island
Charlestown, Rhode Island
Charlestown, town, in Washington County, Rhode Island. Charlestown had 8,002 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 7,997 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 8,051 (±26). GEOID 4400914500.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
8,002
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 7,997 · ACS 2020-2024: 8,051 ±26
Median household income
$109,404
±$9,817 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $87,796
Median home value
$525,500
±$57,028 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $404,200
Median gross rent
$1,374
±$134 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $1,342
Where is Charlestown and what county is it in?
Charlestown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island. It covers 36.5 square miles of land, 219 residents per square mile in 2020.
2 places lie inside Charlestown: Charlestown (CDP, 1,714 in 2020) and Quonochontaug (CDP, 422 in 2020). Part of Carolina (CDP) also lies in it.
Charlestown is in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Charlestown, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 8,002 people lived in Charlestown on July 1, 2025, about level with 2020, slower than Rhode Island (+1.6%). The 2020 Census counted 7,997 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 8,051 (±26).
| Measure | Charlestown | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 8,051±26 | 130,344 | +252 |
| Households | 3,493±221 | 52,549 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.28±0.14 | 2.34 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 5,458±313 | 66,385 | no clear change |
Charlestown's population since 2000
From 7,859 in 2000 to 8,002 in 2025: up 1.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Charlestown as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Charlestown?
The median resident of Charlestown is 53.3 years old; 13.0% are under 18 and 27.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.3%. 3.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Charlestown | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.3±2.1 | 45.5 | +4.5 |
| Under 18 years | 13.0%±2.6 pts | 15.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.1%±3.3 pts | 23.3% | – |
| Male | 49.9%±2.4 pts | 48.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3%±1.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.5%±2.5 pts | 88.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.6%±0.7 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.3 pts | 2.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.8%±1.0 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.1%±1.7 pts | 5.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.6%±1.6 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.7%±1.9 pts | 6.1% | – |
| With a disability | 12.5%±2.8 pts | 10.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5%±1.8 pts | 2.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.3%±1.7 pts | 95.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 40.4%±5.9 pts | 52.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 17.6%±3.9 pts | 23.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.0%±2.1 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.8%±1.8 pts | 2.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Charlestown earn?
Half of Charlestown's 3,493 households earn less than $109,404 a year (±$9,817), against $106,638 in Washington County and $87,796 in Rhode Island. In 2015-2019 the median was $96,251 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $13,153 after inflation. 4.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Charlestown | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,404±$9,817 | $106,638 | +$13,153 |
| Mean household income | $148,738±$15,963 | $136,741 | – |
| Per capita income | $66,075±$6,239 | $56,069 | +$11,190 |
| People below the poverty line | 4.2%±1.5 pts | 8.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±4.7 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.5%±2.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.2%±2.2 pts | 95.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.1%±2.3 pts | 94.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Charlestown?
Owners occupy 92.0% of Charlestown's occupied homes and renters 8.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $525,500 by its owner (±$57,028). The median renter pays $1,374 a month including utilities, and 60.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Charlestown | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $525,500±$57,028 | $510,800 | +$118,510 |
| Median gross rent | $1,374±$134 | $1,327 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 60.7%±19.0 pts | 42.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,089±$167 | $2,364 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 92.0%±3.1 pts | 77.5% | +8.3 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 8.0%±3.1 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Housing units | 5,458±313 | 66,385 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.2%±2.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±16.3 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.6%±4.8 pts | 77.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.5%±1.0 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.2%±1.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5%±1.8 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.8%±3.5 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.2%±2.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Charlestown building?
Builders took permits for 19 new housing units in Charlestown in 2025 (15 in single-family houses), 2.4 per 1,000 residents against 1.6 across Rhode Island.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Charlestown work and get to work?
75.1% of Charlestown's workers drive alone and 18.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 27.8 minutes.
| Measure | Charlestown | Washington County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.5%±4.7 pts | 61.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1%±3.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 75.1%±5.3 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.8%±1.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 2.1%±2.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Walked | 1.0%±0.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.9%±4.4 pts | 15.3% | +14.9 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 27.8 min±5.1 | 26.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Charlestown?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Charlestown, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $102,250 (Tract 511.02) to $117,372 (Tract 511.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 511.01Washington County | 4,897 | $117,372 |
| Tract 511.02Washington County | 3,154 | $102,250 |
| Tract 9901Washington County | 0 | not published |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Charlestown) · Census block assignment files
How does Charlestown compare with other places in Rhode Island?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Charlestown is the 1,554th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 25th-most populous of 31 in Rhode Island.
Charlestown ranks 19th of 57 places in Rhode Island with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 25th | 31 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 27th | 39 |
| Residents per square mile | 48th | 57 |
| Median household income | 19th | 57 |
| Per capita income | 6th | 57 |
| Median home value | 16th | 56 |
| Median gross rent | 22nd | 51 |
| Poverty rate | 40th | 45 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26th | 57 |
| Median age | 7th | 57 |
| Owner-occupied share | 4th | 56 |
| Work from home | 6th | 49 |
| Travel time to work | 16th | 57 |
Charlestown's figures with every place in Rhode Island (CSV)
Every place in Rhode Island, sortable · Compare Charlestown with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Charlestown?
16 of the 57 figures for Charlestown on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Charlestown are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.