PlainCities

Ranking · Rhode Island

Fastest-growing and fastest-shrinking places in Rhode Island

Glocester has the highest population change, 2020 to 2025 of Rhode Island's 39 ranked places (+6.3%); Newport has the lowest (−3.6%). Ranked: places with 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census that are incorporated (the Census Bureau estimates only those each year).

Which are the fastest-growing places?

Fastest-growing places in Rhode Island, first to fifth: Glocester (+6.3%), Lincoln (+5.3%), Burrillville (+4.8%), Scituate (+3.9%) and Foster (+3.6%).

Fastest-growing places in Rhode Island, by population change, 2020 to 2025.
RankPlaceTypePopulation change, 2020 to 2025ResidentsCounty
1 Glocestertown +6.3% 10,612Providence County
2 Lincolntown +5.3% 23,713Providence County
3 Burrillvilletown +4.8% 16,927Providence County
4 Scituatetown +3.9% 10,767Providence County
5 Fostertown +3.6% 4,628Providence County
6 East Greenwichtown +3.4% 14,790Kent County
7 West Greenwichtown +3.4% 6,750Kent County
8 Cumberlandtown +3.3% 37,615Providence County
9 North Smithfieldtown +3.2% 12,990Providence County
10 Woonsocketcity +3.1% 44,580Providence County
11 Johnstontown +2.9% 30,494Providence County
12 Central Fallscity +2.4% 23,124Providence County
13 East Providencecity +2.4% 48,249Providence County
14 Providencecity +2.3% 195,310Providence County
15 Smithfieldtown +2.2% 22,625Providence County
16 North Providencetown +2.1% 34,833Providence County
17 Cranstoncity +2.1% 84,647Providence County
18 Pawtucketcity +1.9% 77,065Providence County
19 Warwickcity +1.6% 84,187Kent County

Source: Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025) · Census population estimates

Which are the fastest-shrinking places?

Fastest-shrinking places in Rhode Island, first to fifth: Newport (−3.6%), Middletown (−3.4%), Tiverton (−3.4%), Bristol (−2.3%) and Little Compton (−2.2%).

Fastest-shrinking places in Rhode Island, by population change, 2020 to 2025.
RankPlaceTypePopulation change, 2020 to 2025ResidentsCounty
39 Newportcity −3.6% 24,251Newport County
38 Middletowntown −3.4% 16,502Newport County
37 Tivertontown −3.4% 15,809Newport County
36 Bristoltown −2.3% 21,970Bristol County
35 Little Comptontown −2.2% 3,535Newport County
34 Portsmouthtown −2.2% 17,474Newport County
33 Narragansetttown −1.7% 14,291Washington County
32 Jamestowntown −1.3% 5,480Newport County
31 Barringtontown −1.1% 16,961Bristol County
30 Westerlytown −0.9% 23,139Washington County
29 Warrentown −0.8% 11,070Bristol County
28 Hopkintontown +0.0% 8,393Washington County
27 Charlestowntown +0.0% 8,002Washington County
26 New Shorehamtown +0.2% 1,408Washington County
25 South Kingstowntown +0.2% 32,009Washington County
24 North Kingstowntown +0.5% 27,885Washington County
23 Exetertown +1.2% 6,540Washington County
22 Richmondtown +1.3% 8,128Washington County
21 West Warwicktown +1.6% 31,487Kent County

Source: Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025) · Census population estimates

How is this ranking made?

Each place's population change, 2020 to 2025 is read from the Census Bureau's April 1, 2020 estimates base and its July 1, 2025 estimate. A place enters the ranking if it had 1,000 or more residents in the 2020 Census and is incorporated. Ties in the published figure share a rank. This is a measurement of one figure, not a judgment of a place.

Towns and townships are ranked beside cities, villages and census-designated places, and a census-designated place can lie inside a township, so one area can appear twice, once as each.

Source: PlainCities ranking method applied to the Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025) · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections