Westerly, RI: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Westerly is a town on the southwestern coastline of Washington County, Rhode Island, first settled by English colonists in 1661, and incorporated as a municipality in 1669. The Town of Westerly is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state with a population of 23,359 as of the 2020 census. The western and northern borders of Westerly are defined by a natural border of the Pawcatuck River, with the bordering town of Hopkinton defined by the Pawcatuck River, while holding a straight border to the east with Charlestown. The Pawcatuck River flows on the western border of Westerly, and was once renowned for its own species of Westerly salmon, three of which are displayed on the town'…

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From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Westerly ranks

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#4Lowest property tax in RI #7Shortest commute in RI #9Cheapest rent in RI All RI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code02891

Area code401

Living in Westerly

Housing in Westerly

$639K▲ 8.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Westerly home is worth about $639,000, up 8.7% in a year, 25% above the Rhode Island typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market26

Sale-to-list102.1%

Sold in May18

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Westerly

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Not graded

A grade needs all of the FBI's latest years (2023–2025). Westerly's police department reported only 2023 and 2024, so we don't grade it yet. The figures below are still real.

Violent crime per 1,000

Westerly 0.6

Rhode Island 1.6

U.S. 3.6

Property crime per 1,000

Westerly 9.1

Rhode Island 10.4

U.S. 17.7

FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Westerly

All Westerly schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Westerly’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 51% of Rhode Island’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Westerly’s schools compare in RI →

DistrictWesterlySchools6

Dunn's Corners School B+Elementary · Grades K–4 · 264 students Springbrook Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades K–4 · 243 students State Street School B+Elementary · Grades K–4 · 212 students Westerly Middle School C+Middle · Grades 5–8 · 639 students Westerly High School B+High · Grades 9–12 · 650 students Westerly Inclusion Preschool PPrekindergarten · Grades PK · 87 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within RI. Ratings are from neighbors.