The Town Files

Richmond, Rhode Island

Town in Washington County · population 8,020 (2020 Census)

Map: where Richmond is in Rhode IslandRichmond
Median home
$435,800
Household income
$124,653
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 83°
Snow a year
35 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
42.7

Richmond is a town of 8,020 people in Washington County, Rhode Island. The median home is worth $435,800, close to the typical Rhode Island town ($432,850). It ranks better for cycling than 98% of Rhode Island towns, better for families than 95% of Rhode Island towns, easier by car than 84% of Rhode Island towns.

Richmond in our rankings:

How Richmond 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.

Richmond lifestyle rankings vs other Rhode Island townsRetirement21st pctFamilies95th pctQuiet76th pctWalkability7th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals16th pctVibrancy14th pctHip & trendy21st pctCollege town62nd pctUpscale78th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling98th pctTransitbottomDriving84th 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 Richmond is worth $435,800, close to the typical Rhode Island town ($432,850). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $124,653, which is more affordable than 86% of Rhode Island towns. Median rent is $1,580 a month. 96.6% of households own their home.

Richmond vs Washington County vs typical Rhode Island townRichmondWashington CountyTypical Rhode Island townHome value$435,800$510,800$432,850Household income$124,653$106,638$102,946Monthly rent$1,580$1,327$1,362
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Rhode Island towns with 500+ people.
HousingRichmondTypical Rhode Island town
Median home value$435,800$432,850
Median rent$1,580$1,362
Median household income$124,653$102,946
Home value ÷ income3.5×4.3×
Homeownership96.6%75.9%
Median year built19851972
Seasonal / vacation homes1.5%—

Who lives in Richmond

PeopleRichmondTypical Rhode Island town
Median age42.743.8
Age 65 and over15.7%21.0%
Under 1822.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher49.5%40.0%
Below the poverty line3.2%6.2%
Veterans7.1%—
Born outside the U.S.3.8%—
Work from home11.0%12.4%
Average commute34.0 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband100.0%93.3%

Weather in Richmond

July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 20.8°F. About 53.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.5 inches of snow (typical Rhode Island town: 36.6 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 128 nights at or below freezing.

Richmond monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing40°21°Jan43°22°Feb49°28°Mar60°37°Apr70°47°May78°56°Jun83°62°Jul82°60°Aug76°53°Sep65°42°Oct55°34°Nov45°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.210.03.89.95.66.24.91.13.84.13.34.34.45.00.14.50.65.36.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kingston station (6.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Richmond since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 7 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 30, 1998.

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 Richmond itself the ACS puts it at 1.2%.

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).

Towns near Richmond

Richmond questions

Is Richmond, Rhode Island a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Richmond scores better for retirees than 21% of Rhode Island towns and quieter than 76%. 15.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.7).

How much does a house cost in Richmond?

The median owner-occupied home in Richmond is valued at $435,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $124,653, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,580 a month.

What is the weather like in Richmond?

July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 20.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.1 inches of precipitation a year and 34.5 inches of snow.

Does Richmond get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Richmond in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Richmond's Census boundary (GEOID 4400961160). 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 2026-11-12.