Rhode Island’s Safest Cities of 2024

John Carlsen
Mar 18, 2024
Icon Time To Read3 min read
SafeWise is pleased to release the 10th annual Safest Cities report.

Here are the 5 Safest Cities in Rhode Island for 2023

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our most recent  State of Safety report, Rhode Islanders are more concerned about their safety in general than the average American, although the state boasts some of the lowest crime rates. 

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2022.

2024 Rhode Island crime rates

Rhode Island's crime rates are lower than nationwide rates for violent crime and property crime.

Image: SafeWise

Following an increase last year, Rhode Island's violent crime rate held steady this year at 2.0 incidents per 1,000 people—the fourth-lowest in the nation. Property crime in The Ocean State saw a small increase since last year, but the overall rate stayed at 13.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, still well below the nationwide rate of 20.7 incidents per 1,000. Rhode Island ranks fifth-lowest in the US for property crime.

Property crime in Rhode Island: Fear vs. reality

In contrast to the slight rise of property crime incidences, Rhode Islanders told us that they’re 20% less concerned about property crimes than they were last year. Although 73% of Americans say crime is increasing, only 64% of Rhode Islanders agreed.

  • Statewide, the property crime rate (13.1) increased by around 5%, but it's still 37% below the nationwide rate (20.7).
  • Burglary accounts for just 10% of property crimes in The Ocean State, which is below the national proportion of 13%.
  • All 10 of the safest cities reported lower property crime rates than state and national levels.
  • 22% of respondents told us they experienced a property crime in the 12 months prior to the survey, which is a 21% decrease year over year, and the eight-lowest rate in the US.
  • Concern about property crime fell from 54% last year to 43%, making Rhode Island the fifth-least worried about property crime.

Attitudes about property security in Rhode Island

Security measures used most in Rhode Island: security cameras, guard dogs, and security systems.
  • 66% of survey respondents in Rhode Island are proactive about property protection (US 75%).
  • The top forms of property protection in Rhode Island were security cameras (38%) and dogs (27%).
  • 33% of Rhode Islanders surveyed said they increase security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Attitudes about package theft in Rhode Island

  • 31% of survey respondents in Rhode Island reported experiencing package theft in the 12 months prior to the survey, which is below the US average of 35%.
  • 49% of participants expressed a high level of concern about package theft, slightly lower than the US average of 53%.
  • Of those who try to thwart package thieves (72%), the preferred methods of package protection in Rhode Island are verified delivery (30%) and doorbell cameras (27%).

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What crimes are Rhode Island residents most concerned about?

Bar chart showing percentages of how concerned state residents are about crime compared to the national averages for violent crime, property crime, package theft and gun violence.

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Rhode Island: Fear vs. reality

Rhode Island’s violent crime rate (2.0) is 49% lower than the nationwide rate, and the fourth lowest in the country. Reports of violent crime experiences rose for the second year in a row, and Rhode Islanders are less worried about violent crime than most of the country.

  • 61% of survey participants in The Ocean State said their state is a safe place to live (US 45%), a jump of 19 percentage points since our last survey.
  • Rhode Island sees a smaller percentage of murders and assaults in its violent crime numbers, but its reports of rape and robbery are more prevalent compared to nationwide averages.
  • Nearly half of survey respondents (48%) told us they're highly worried about violent crime—a drop from last year and 14% below the national level of concern (50%).
  • 24% of Rhode Island survey participants say they use some form of personal protection (US 36%).
  • The most common types of personal protection used by Rhode Island respondents this survey year were pepper spray (42%) and concealed firearms (25%).

Attitudes about gun violence in Rhode Island

  • 41% of Rhode Islanders told us they worry about gun violence—that’s 11 percentage points lower than last year.
  • While concern about gun violence dropped 21% year over year, reported experiences with it rose 86%, from 7% to 13% if respondents who reported a personal experience with gun violence (US 12%).
  • In 2023, there were no mass shooting incidents in Rhode Island.
  • 1 in 4 Rhode Island respondents who use some measure of personal protection, carry a concealed firearm (US 41%).
  • Just 11% of respondents rely on a firearm to protect their home (US 28%).

A closer look at the safest cities in Rhode Island

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

  • 18 cities met our criteria to be considered for ranking.
  • Bristol and South Kingstown held on to the top 2 spots for the fifth consecutive year.
  • East Providence climbed 4 spots to round out the top  safest cities in Rhode Island.
  • The violent crime rate in the safest cities is 0.6 incidents per 1,000 people—70% lower than the state rate (2.0).
  • All of the safest cities reported fewer than 30 violent crimes each.
  • The safest cities collective reported 68% fewer robberies, proportionately, than the state overall.
  • The property crime rate in the safest cities is 6.1 incidents per 1,000 people—54% lower than the state rate (13.1).
  • Surprisingly, the safest cities saw a bigger proportion of burglaries (14%) than the state and the US (10% and 13%, respectively).

The 5 safest cities in Rhode Island

Silhouette of Rhode Island with pins marking where the safest cities are located.

Image: SafeWise

#1
Bristol
(
-0-
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    22,220
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.5, 0.2
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.2, 2.6, 3.2
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
#2
South Kingstown
(
-0-
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    32,046
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.5, 0.5
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.5, 4.0, 4.5
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Cumberland, Rhode Island
#3
Cumberland
(
+1
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    36,345
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.8, 0.8
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.8, 4.6, 6.1
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
#4
North Kingstown
(
-1
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    28,008
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.0, 0.4, 1.0
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.2, 5.7, 8.4
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
East Providence, Rhode Island
#5
East Providence
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    46,655
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, 1.3, 2.4
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    8.7, 7.2, 7.3
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Find the safest cities in each state

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Endnotes and sources

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

  • 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
    • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
  • 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.

For over 11 years, SafeWise experts have conducted independent research and testing to create unbiased, human reviews. Learn how we test and review.

John Carlsen
Written by
John is a technology journalist specializing in smart home devices, security cameras, and home security systems. He has over a decade of experience researching, testing, and reviewing the latest tech—he was the Smart Home Editor for Top Ten Reviews and wrote for ASecureLife before joining SafeWise as a Staff Writer in 2020. John holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism emphasis from Utah Valley University. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, photography, cooking, and starting countless DIY projects he has yet to complete.

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