Is Watch Hill, RI a Good Place to Live?
Watch Hill is a small town of 311 in Rhode Island, with a median household income of $133,542 and a 37.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Watch Hill stands out for a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Watch Hill is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Watch Hill city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 100.9Watch Hill's overall cost of living index is 100.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Watch Hill costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Watch Hill, RI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $2,000,001 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 87.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $133,542 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeWatch Hill's violent crime rate is 24.7 per 100,000 residents — 94% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Watch Hill, RI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 69.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Watch Hill sees average highs of 39.5°F in January and 81.6°F in July, with 42.8 inches of annual precipitation and 24.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Watch Hill, RI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.5°F |
| Average High — July | 81.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 24.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Watch Hill, RI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 311 | — |
| Median Age | 45.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 37.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | N/A | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 86.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 13.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.0% | 16.8% |