The 10 Worst Places To Live In Rhode Island For 2023

The 10 Worst Places To Live In Rhode Island For 2023

When you’re looking at science and data, the city of Woonsocket is the worst place you can live in the state of Rhode Island. Let’s see why.

Residents who live in Woonsocket, located on the Massachusetts border, have the 9th most crimes in the state committed against them. Factor in a much-lower income level–per resident–and homes valued around $208,400, and you’ve got yourself a crummy place to live. In terms of comparing it to the rest of Rhode Island, that is.

Side note: Woonsocket is the birthplace of former NHL goalie Brian Boucher.

Sitting just north of Pawtucket on the eastern edge of the state, Central Falls is part of the metropolitan sprawl that surrounds Providence. Poverty represents the major challenge for the 22,192 residents of the city, landing it at number 2 on this list.

The poverty rate sits at 24.9%, a product of a 9.3% unemployment rate and a $40,235 median income. These financial woes lead to other issues. Most of the schools in the area rank a 5/10 or worse on Great Schools. And at $187,300, the median home price is out of the reach for many of Central Falls’ low-income inhabitants.

For 50 years, Pawtucket hosted the AAA minor-league baseball affiliate for the Boston Red Sox. In 2020, after attempts to build a new stadium failed, the Pawtucket Red Sox moved to Worcester. Take that as a metaphor for the town as a whole. It ranks as the 3rd worst place to live in Rhode Island for 2023.

Why would you want to move away from Pawtucket? (Besides not getting a new baseball stadium, that is.) Well, the city, located just outside of Providence, supports a sluggish economy, including an unemployment rate of 6.9%. High crime and weak schools are problems as well.

In addition, the area is relatively expensive. The cost of living tracks at 10% above the national average, with a median home value of $228,500. This compares to a median income of $56,427.

In most ways, Providence represents the key city in Rhode Island. It’s the biggest urban area and the state capital. It also serves as a kind of historical monument, with a continuous history as a settlement stretching back to 1636.

Unfortunately, the community also has its challenges. Poverty stands as a huge problem, with 1 in 4 residents struggling below the poverty line. Safety is a concern as well. The city’s crime rate runs 40% above the national average.

Still, there are reasons people have lived in town for nearly 400 years. It features a long waterfront and a significant number of historical attractions. It’s also the home to the Rhode Island School of Design.

Famed horror writer H.P. Lovecraft once came to Chepachet in search of a purported Dark Swamp of evil. The town also gets a shout out on the TV show The X-Files. Scary stuff.

The real Chepachet may not serve as the home for a supernatural terror. But it does have its share of more mundane problems.

Specifically, the community of 1,691 faces issues related to its remote location. (Maybe that’s where those Dark Swamp rumors started too.) Situated in the northwest part of the state, Chepachet suffers from a lack of amenities. Diversity is also scarce and the education system falls below expectations.

Harrisville is a small city located not too far away from Pascoag. Three of the top 5 worst places to live in Rhode Island are on the northern part of the state. You can make your own assumptions from there.

Harrisville has a very-high crime rate, is respect to the state norm, an unemployment rate of 6.1%, and it’s one of the least densely populated places in the state, meaning there’s probably not a lot to do except cheer on the Sox and watch hockey.

Pascoag, sitting in the northwest part of the state, straddles the Pascoag Reservoir, providing a significant source of waterfront and boating fun. You can also get an additional taste of the outdoors at the nearby Pulaski/Washington State Forest.

At the same time, the town boasts a strong economy. The median income around $85,000 and the unemployment rate stands at 4.4%. With all these benefits, how did the town end up the number 8 worst spot in Rhode Island?

Well, Pascoag suffers from isolation. The community of just 4,471 people has very little diversity. And at 40 minutes from Providence, any commute to a major urban area becomes a hassle.

Valley Falls ranks as the 9th worst place to live in Rhode Island for 2023, let’s take a look at why.

Valley Falls was an early manufacturing hub in the country. A firm started in town in 1839 continues to exist today as Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate run by billionaire Warren Buffett. However, Berkshire is now headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Guess the Valley Falls glory days are a century or two in the past.

To be fair, the economy of this town, located in the northeast corner of the state, is actually rather strong. The median income equals $90,851 and the unemployment rate hovers at 3.7%.

Despite this economic base, the town faces other problems. For instance, the school system is spotty and any real diversity is lacking.