A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Smithfield$3,270/mo

Typical home $526K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $1,016/mo · Housing →

Harmony$2,240/mo

Typical home $341K (Census) · tax rate 1.58% · Housing →

The difference: $1,030 a month, about $12,300 a year, between Smithfield and Harmony.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Smithfield and Harmony share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

SmithfieldHarmony

Smithfield ↔ Harmony4.1 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

51 Harmony residents work in Smithfield (8.8% of its workers)

Work & commute in Harmony →

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Rhode Island ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

A−SmithfieldSafer than 76% of U.S. towns –HarmonyNot graded

Schools

A−SmithfieldBetter than 75% of districts in the state –HarmonyNot graded

Health

ASmithfieldHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns –HarmonyNot graded

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

SmithfieldHarmony

Snow a year42″62″

January low19°F 19°F

July high84°F 80°F

Growing season (days)179d 176d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th 15th

Outdoors & history

SmithfieldHarmony

Trails36 mi 2 mi

Conserved land10.7%6.7%

National Register places10 —

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here24 —

Community

SmithfieldHarmony

Library hours a week59 hrs 37 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Rhode Island average

SmithfieldHarmony

People

Population 22,233Highest 1,006Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.2%Lowest RI: +4.3% +5.2%Highest RI: +4.3%

Median age 41.8±2.6Lowest about the RI average 47.2±20Highest 16% above RI

Harmony and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 16.9%±2.4Lowest RI: 18.8% 24.3%±9.4Highest RI: 18.8%

Harmony and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 21.1%±2.1Highest RI: 18.7% 11.2%±11.3Lowest RI: 18.7%

Smithfield and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 40%Highest RI: 37.7% 38.2%Lowest RI: 37.7%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 16.7%±0.9Highest RI: 8.3% 2.7%±3.4Lowest RI: 8.3%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $102,077±$8kLowest 16% above RI $120,235±$15kHighest 37% above RI

Harmony and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $446,400±$12kHighest 10% above RI $341,400±$154kLowest 16% below RI

Smithfield and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,016±$241 24% below RI —

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,207Lowest 6% above RI $5,403Highest 10% above RI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.1%±17.7Lowest RI: 48% 100%±81.6Highest RI: 48%

Harmony and Smithfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 6.2%Lowest RI: 11.2% 14%Highest RI: 11.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.6%Lowest RI: 63.6% 92.3%Highest RI: 63.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 14 yrs newer than RI 1954Lowest 8 yrs older than RI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 4% below RI 35 minHighest 38% above RI

Work from home 14%±3.1Highest RI: 13% 10%±7.3Lowest RI: 13%

Smithfield and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 14.9%Highest 1.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 miLowest 10.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.41Highest 0.51Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Providence (18%)Providence (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Harmony9% work in Smithfield

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 10.7%Highest 6.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 35.7 miHighest 1.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.3 miHighest 0.6 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 12Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 27.8Highest 12.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #8 of 38 in RI—

School district Smithfield—

High school in town Smithfield High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 11.8 —

Rhode Island average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Smithfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Smithfield’s Town Square.

Harmony neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Harmony’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Smithfield and Harmony

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Smithfield

+ Compare

Lincoln22,864 people · $451K homes

+ Compare

Johnston29,835 people · $356K homes

+ Compare

North Smithfield12,708 people · $457K homes

+ Compare

Glocester10,221 people · $397K homes

Towns like Smithfield

+ Compare

Cumberland36,820 people · $431K homes

+ Compare

Coventry35,907 people · $356K homes

+ Compare

Burrillville16,427 people · $384K homes

+ Compare

Bristol22,220 people · $485K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Smithfield vs Harmony

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,030 more a month in Smithfield

Smithfield and Harmony share a border

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Smithfield and Harmony

Bordering Smithfield

Towns like Smithfield

Post to Smithfield

Check your email