← How Warwick ranks
Rhode Island rankings · Libraries Towns with the most-used public libraries in Rhode Island Ranked by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. 30 towns with 2,500+ residents.
Warwick’s spot
#16 of 30 3.2 per resident library visits a year
The race around Warwick
Just behind East Providence, just ahead of Cranston All 30 towns Visits per resident, highest first. Towns next door to Warwick are tagged.
# Town Visits per resident Library Visits a year
1
Westerly Washington County · 23,333 people 9.7 per resident Westerly Public Library 227,178
2
Barrington Bristol County · 17,126 people · next door 8.8 per resident Barrington Public Library 151,679
3
Charlestown Washington County · 8,051 people 7.3 per resident Cross' Mills Public Library 58,464
4
Little Compton Newport County · 3,584 people 6.4 per resident Brownell Library, Home of Little Compton 23,138
5
Middletown Newport County · 16,832 people 5.6 per resident Middletown Public Library 94,769
6
Narragansett Washington County · 14,494 people 4.3 per resident Maury Loontjens Memorial Library (Narragansett) 62,258
7
Jamestown Newport County · 5,534 people 4.0 per resident Jamestown Philomenian Library 22,240
8
Bristol Bristol County · 22,220 people 3.8 per resident Rogers Free Library 84,850
9
Portsmouth Newport County · 17,644 people · next door 3.8 per resident Portsmouth Free Public Library 68,528
10
East Greenwich Kent County · 14,554 people · next door 3.7 per resident East Greenwich Free Library 53,575
11
Cumberland Providence County · 36,820 people 3.5 per resident Cumberland Public Library 128,045
12
Tiverton Newport County · 16,189 people 3.5 per resident Tiverton Public Library 56,473
13
Lincoln Providence County · 22,864 people 3.4 per resident Lincoln Public Library 76,752
14
Exeter Washington County · 7,195 people 3.4 per resident Exeter Public Library 22,239
15
East Providence 47,281 people · next door 3.3 per resident East Providence Public Library 155,478
16
Warwick 83,175 people 3.2 per resident Warwick Public Library 231,931
17
Cranston 83,250 people · next door 2.8 per resident Cranston Public Library 235,123
18
South Kingstown Washington County · 32,073 people 2.8 per resident South Kingstown Public Library 90,536
19
West Greenwich Kent County · 6,647 people 2.8 per resident Louttit Library 18,584
20
West Warwick Kent County · 31,173 people · next door 2.3 per resident West Warwick Public Library 71,540
21
Woonsocket 43,521 people 2.2 per resident Woonsocket Harris Public Library 96,189
22
Coventry Kent County · 35,907 people 2.2 per resident Coventry Public Library 79,817
23
North Providence Providence County · 34,293 people 2.2 per resident Mayor Salvatore Mancini Union Free Library 75,784
24
North Smithfield Providence County · 12,708 people 2.1 per resident North Smithfield Public Library 26,189
25
Pawtucket 75,893 people 1.6 per resident Pawtucket Public Library 121,940
26
Foster Providence County · 4,523 people 1.6 per resident Libraries of Foster 7,235
27
Richmond Washington County · 8,142 people 1.4 per resident Clark Memorial Library 11,492
28
Warren Bristol County · 11,144 people 1.2 per resident George Hail Free Library 13,160
29
Johnston Providence County · 29,835 people 0.7 per resident Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library 21,512
30
Central Falls 22,701 people 0.5 per resident Adams Public Library 12,170
We rank every town by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.
A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.
Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey . Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.
More on library in Warwick →
Tell Warwick what the numbers miss Your answer becomes a post in Warwick’s Town Square.
Weigh in
#16 of 30 for library visits. Does that ring true?
Agree Disagree
Ask neighbors
What would you tell someone looking at Warwick? → Who really deserves #1? → 
#1
#2
#3