Compare towns
Melville vs Little Compton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Rhode Island.
Towns like MelvilleNew Shoreham
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Melville has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.9%).
Little Compton has the most homeowners (93.8%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Melville | Little Compton |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,631Lowest |
3,584Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +21.9%Highest RI: +4.3% |
+3.6%Lowest RI: +4.3% |
| Median age | 28.8±1.8Lowest 29% below RI |
60.3±3.7Highest 49% above RI |
| Kids under 18 | 31.6%±5.3Highest RI: 18.8% |
13.5%±3.8Lowest RI: 18.8% |
| Age 65+ | 1%±3.2Lowest RI: 18.7% |
39.5%±7.3Highest RI: 18.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.5%Lowest RI: 37.7% |
60%Highest RI: 37.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 23.1%±8.2Highest RI: 8.3% |
4.5%±2.1Lowest RI: 8.3% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $102,266±$22kLowest 16% above RI |
$134,750±$36kHighest 53% above RI |
| Little Compton and Melville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | — | $783,400±$82k 94% above RI |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,724±$118 103% above RI |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | — | $3,696 25% below RI |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.8%±20.7Lowest RI: 48% |
76.1%±36Highest RI: 48% |
| Little Compton and Melville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 1.6%Lowest RI: 11.2% |
2.9%Highest RI: 11.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 4.6%Lowest RI: 63.6% |
93.8%Highest RI: 63.6% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 14 yrs newer than RI |
1969Lowest 7 yrs newer than RI |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 14 minLowest 44% below RI |
34 minHighest 32% above RI |
| Work from home | 2%±2.7Lowest RI: 13% |
20.5%±5.9Highest RI: 13% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #5 of 38 in RI |
| School district | — | Little Compton |
| High school in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
RI average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.