The Town Files

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Town in Washington County · population 14,532 (2020 Census)

Narragansett, Rhode Island
Photo: User:LionOfJudah80 (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$743,500
Household income
$95,721
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 80°
Snow a year
35 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
46.3

Narragansett is a town of 14,532 people in Washington County, Rhode Island. The median home is worth $743,500, above the typical Rhode Island town ($432,850). It ranks better for a vacation home than 95% of Rhode Island towns, better for young professionals than 93% of Rhode Island towns, more of a college town than 93% of Rhode Island towns.

Map: where Narragansett is in Rhode IslandNarragansett
Narragansett in our rankings:

How Narragansett 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.

Narragansett lifestyle rankings vs other Rhode Island townsRetirement83rd pctFamilies50th pctQuiet31st pctWalkability36th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals93rd pctVibrancy69th pctHip & trendy64th pctCollege town93rd pctUpscale76th pctVacation homes95th pctSeaside character83rd pctCycling90th pctTransit50th pctDriving29th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Narragansett is worth $743,500, above the typical Rhode Island town ($432,850). Homes cost about 7.8 times the median household income of $95,721, which is more affordable than 5% of Rhode Island towns. Median rent is $1,712 a month. 71.7% of households own their home.

Narragansett vs Washington County vs typical Rhode Island townNarragansettWashington CountyTypical Rhode Island townHome value$743,500$510,800$432,850Household income$95,721$106,638$102,946Monthly rent$1,712$1,327$1,362
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Rhode Island towns with 500+ people.
HousingNarragansettTypical Rhode Island town
Median home value$743,500$432,850
Median rent$1,712$1,362
Median household income$95,721$102,946
Home value ÷ income7.8×4.3×
Homeownership71.7%75.9%
Median year built19751972
Seasonal / vacation homes32.3%—

Who lives in Narragansett

PeopleNarragansettTypical Rhode Island town
Median age46.343.8
Age 65 and over25.8%21.0%
Under 1810.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher63.9%40.0%
Below the poverty line19.0%6.2%
Veterans3.1%—
Born outside the U.S.2.2%—
Work from home21.4%12.4%
Average commute28.2 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband94.2%93.3%

Weather in Narragansett

July highs average 80.3°F and January lows 19.3°F. About 51.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.5 inches of snow (typical Rhode Island town: 36.6 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 135 nights at or below freezing.

Narragansett monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°19°Jan39°21°Feb46°27°Mar56°36°Apr66°45°May75°54°Jun80°60°Jul79°59°Aug73°52°Sep62°41°Oct52°32°Nov43°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.210.03.99.95.76.24.51.13.64.03.34.14.34.50.14.40.65.26.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kingston 1 W station (6.3 mi away); snow from Kingston (7.0 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Narragansett since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical Rhode Island town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 14, 1972 about 7.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 14, 1972.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Narragansett by decade01950s01960s11970s01980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on May 8, 2024.

Severe weather in Washington County since 1996

Storm events in Washington County since 1996 by typeHail25Flood26Drought8High Wind93Lightning8Heavy Rain19Heavy Snow45Strong Wind77
NOAA Storm Events Database, Washington County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Washington County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 20, 2024Severe StormDR-4765: Severe Storm And Flooding
March 20, 2024Severe StormDR-4766: Severe Storms And Flooding
April 14, 2023FireFM-5464: Queens River Fire
May 12, 2022SnowstormDR-4653: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
August 21, 2021HurricaneEM-3563: Hurricane Henri

Jobs and pay in Washington County

Washington County had 59,183 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,700 a year. Unemployment was 2.5% in 2023; in Narragansett itself the ACS puts it at 5.6%.

Largest industries in Washington CountyManufacturing11,815 jobs · $75,841Health care & social assistan…7,511 jobs · $55,976Hotels & restaurants7,105 jobs · $31,358Retail6,609 jobs · $40,539Construction2,759 jobs · $81,980Administrative & support2,267 jobs · $56,696
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Washington County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Washington 2.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Narragansett

3 public schools with 1,057 students, about 10.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Narragansett High School9-124279.5
Narragansett ElementaryPK-434211.8
Narragansett Pier School5-828812.5

Towns near Narragansett

Narragansett questions

Is Narragansett, Rhode Island a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Narragansett scores better for retirees than 83% of Rhode Island towns and quieter than 31%. 25.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.3).

How much does a house cost in Narragansett?

The median owner-occupied home in Narragansett is valued at $743,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $95,721, so homes cost about 7.8 times income. Median rent is $1,712 a month.

What is the weather like in Narragansett?

July highs average 80.3°F and January lows 19.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 51.6 inches of precipitation a year and 34.5 inches of snow.

Does Narragansett get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Narragansett since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 14, 1972. The typical Rhode Island town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Narragansett's Census boundary (GEOID 4400948340). Comparisons use the median of Rhode Island towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.