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RIRhode Island rankings

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.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Westerly
Rhode Island · Most-used libraries

Where Westerly lands: #1 of 30

9.7 per resident library visits a year · Visit Westerly →

Westerly 1 Westerly Washington County 9.7 per resident Westerly Public Library Barrington 2 Barrington Bristol County 8.8 per resident Barrington Public Library Charlestown 3 Charlestown Washington County 7.3 per resident Cross' Mills Public Library
#TownVisits per residentLibraryVisits a year
1 Westerly WesterlyWashington County · 23,333 people 9.7 per resident Westerly Public Library 227,178
2 Barrington BarringtonBristol County · 17,126 people 8.8 per resident Barrington Public Library 151,679
3 Charlestown CharlestownWashington County · 8,051 people 7.3 per resident Cross' Mills Public Library 58,464
4 Little Compton Little ComptonNewport County · 3,584 people 6.4 per resident Brownell Library, Home of Little Compton 23,138
5 Middletown MiddletownNewport County · 16,832 people 5.6 per resident Middletown Public Library 94,769
6 Narragansett NarragansettWashington County · 14,494 people 4.3 per resident Maury Loontjens Memorial Library (Narragansett) 62,258
7 Jamestown JamestownNewport County · 5,534 people 4.0 per resident Jamestown Philomenian Library 22,240
8 Bristol BristolBristol County · 22,220 people 3.8 per resident Rogers Free Library 84,850
9 Portsmouth PortsmouthNewport County · 17,644 people 3.8 per resident Portsmouth Free Public Library 68,528
10 East Greenwich East GreenwichKent County · 14,554 people 3.7 per resident East Greenwich Free Library 53,575
11 Cumberland CumberlandProvidence County · 36,820 people 3.5 per resident Cumberland Public Library 128,045
12 Tiverton TivertonNewport County · 16,189 people 3.5 per resident Tiverton Public Library 56,473
13 Lincoln LincolnProvidence County · 22,864 people 3.4 per resident Lincoln Public Library 76,752
14 Exeter ExeterWashington County · 7,195 people 3.4 per resident Exeter Public Library 22,239
15 East Providence East Providence47,281 people 3.3 per resident East Providence Public Library 155,478
16 Warwick Warwick83,175 people 3.2 per resident Warwick Public Library 231,931
17 Cranston Cranston83,250 people 2.8 per resident Cranston Public Library 235,123
18 South Kingstown South KingstownWashington County · 32,073 people 2.8 per resident South Kingstown Public Library 90,536
19 West Greenwich West GreenwichKent County · 6,647 people 2.8 per resident Louttit Library 18,584
20 West Warwick West WarwickKent County · 31,173 people 2.3 per resident West Warwick Public Library 71,540
21 Woonsocket Woonsocket43,521 people 2.2 per resident Woonsocket Harris Public Library 96,189
22 Coventry CoventryKent County · 35,907 people 2.2 per resident Coventry Public Library 79,817
23 North Providence North ProvidenceProvidence County · 34,293 people 2.2 per resident Mayor Salvatore Mancini Union Free Library 75,784
24 North Smithfield North SmithfieldProvidence County · 12,708 people 2.1 per resident North Smithfield Public Library 26,189
25 Pawtucket Pawtucket75,893 people 1.6 per resident Pawtucket Public Library 121,940
26 Foster FosterProvidence County · 4,523 people 1.6 per resident Libraries of Foster 7,235
27 Richmond RichmondWashington County · 8,142 people 1.4 per resident Clark Memorial Library 11,492
28 Warren WarrenBristol County · 11,144 people 1.2 per resident George Hail Free Library 13,160
29 Johnston JohnstonProvidence County · 29,835 people 0.7 per resident Marian J. Mohr Memorial Library 21,512
30 Central Falls Central Falls22,701 people 0.5 per resident Adams Public Library 12,170

How this ranking works

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.

Same ranking in other states

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