The Town FilesMelville, Rhode Island
Community in Newport County · population 1,609 (2020 Census)
- Household income
- $102,266
- Jan low / Jul high
- 24° / 80°
- Snow a year
- 26 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 28.8
Melville is a community of 1,609 people in Newport County, Rhode Island. It ranks better for cycling than 100% of Rhode Island towns, more of a college town than 91% of Rhode Island towns, better for young professionals than 90% of Rhode Island towns.
How Melville ranks
Percentile among Rhode Island towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Rhode Island towns.
Homes and cost of living
Median rent is $2,724 a month. 4.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Melville | Typical Rhode Island town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $432,850 |
| Median rent | $2,724 | $1,362 |
| Median household income | $102,266 | $102,946 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 4.3× |
| Homeownership | 4.6% | 75.9% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Melville
| People | Melville | Typical Rhode Island town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.8 | 43.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 1.0% | 21.0% |
| Under 18 | 31.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.5% | 40.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.6% | 6.2% |
| Veterans | 8.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 11.5% | — |
| Work from home | 2.0% | 12.4% |
| Average commute | 14.4 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.4% | 93.3% |
Weather in Melville
July highs average 79.6°F and January lows 24.1°F. About 42.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 26.0 inches of snow (typical Rhode Island town: 36.6 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 98 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Melville since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical Rhode Island town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on November 13, 2021 about 8.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 13, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 10 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 24, 2008.
Severe weather in Newport County since 1996
Newport County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for hurricane, snowstorm, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4766: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| May 12, 2022 | Snowstorm | DR-4653: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| August 21, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3563: Hurricane Henri |
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4505: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3440: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Newport County
Newport County had 42,622 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $68,656 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Melville itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.
Towns near Melville
- Portsmouth, RI2.4 mi · 17,871 people · home $597,000
- Middletown, RI2.9 mi · 17,075 people · home $563,300
- Newport East, RI3.1 mi · 12,337 people · home $485,400
- Jamestown, RI4.5 mi · 5,559 people · home $842,400
- Newport, RI5.8 mi · 25,163 people · home $746,900
- Tiverton, RI7.0 mi · 16,359 people · home $411,900
- North Kingstown, RI7.7 mi · 27,732 people · home $543,700
- Little Compton, RI8.1 mi · 3,616 people · home $783,400
Melville questions
Is Melville, Rhode Island a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Melville scores better for retirees than 10% of Rhode Island towns and quieter than 10%. 1.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 28.8).
What is the weather like in Melville?
July highs average 79.6°F and January lows 24.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.2 inches of precipitation a year and 26.0 inches of snow.
Does Melville get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Melville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on November 13, 2021. The typical Rhode Island town has had 5.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)