City profile · Rhode Island · Census ACS 2023

Watch Hill, RI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Watch Hill - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

224
Residents
$2,000,001
Median home
$1,729
Median rent (state)

Watch Hill - the verdict

Rhode Island's Watch Hill counts 224 residents. Source: Census ACS.

99th
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Watch Hill, RI

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 224 residents in Watch Hill, a small town within Rhode Island. Home values in Watch Hill run a median of $2,000,001, and the median resident age is 51.8 years. 69.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 37.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Rhode Island tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 102.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,729 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $318 across Rhode Island, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 64.0 out of 100 (Moderate).

Population

224 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Rhode Island

Median Household Income

N/A /yr

Poverty 11.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

102.3 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Rhode Island average

How does Watch Hill compare to other US cities?

Here's how Watch Hill stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 70% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Watch Hill against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Rhode Island only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Rhode Island-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Watch Hill near the bottom of Rhode Island's cities

Among the 36 Rhode Island cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Watch Hill ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Watch Hill only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Gross Rent
#1 of 36
0th percentile in Rhode Island
Median Home Value
#1 of 35
97th percentile in Rhode Island
Poverty Rate
#5 of 36
86th percentile in Rhode Island
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#2 of 36
94th percentile in Rhode Island

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Rhode Island only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

How Watch Hill's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$2,000,001 1st percentile more affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Watch Hill $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Median household income is not available for Watch Hill in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 69.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 37.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
224
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
$2,000,001
Median Age
51.8
Poverty Rate
11.3%
Labor force participation
37.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
69.3%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
55.9%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
19.1%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
16.2%
Other
8.8%

Based on 68 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Rhode Island - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$155
avg/month
Natural Gas
$105
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$58
avg/month
Total Utilities
$318
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Rhode Island state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Rhode Island state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Watch Hill sits in

Cost of Living Index
102.3
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,729/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
64.0 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Rhode Island

Clayville
184 people
Foster Center
328 people
Wyoming
351 people
Misquamicut
355 people
Hopkinton
402 people
Weekapaug
471 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Watch Hill's 224 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Koliganek, AK
224 people
Bluff City, AR
224 people
Emerson, AR
224 people
Sherrill, AR
224 people
Dillon Beach, CA
224 people
Jacob City, FL
224 people

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Watch Hill, RI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Watch Hill, RI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 84.4% 15.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 84.4% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 15.6% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 0.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Watch Hill compares to nearby Rhode Island cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Watch Hill (this city) 224 N/A
Clayville 184 $128,264
Foster Center 328 $56,027
Wyoming 351 N/A
Census ACS 5-year FIPS RI OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Watch Hill, RI?

What is the population of Watch Hill, RI? +

The population of Watch Hill, RI stands at 224 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the cost of living in Watch Hill? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Watch Hill; the closest available measure is the Rhode Island state average, a cost of living index of 102.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Rhode Island vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Watch Hill, RI? +

Homes in Watch Hill carry a median value of $2,000,001, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.