Westerly, RI

Census Place

2024 Population

18,411

US Senator

Jack Reed

Democratic Party

US Senator

Sheldon Whitehouse

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

50.4

5.79% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

5.72%

4% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$95,207

15.6% 1-year growth

Population & Diversity

Westerly, RI is home to a population of 18.4k people, from which 97.5% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.9% of Westerly, RI residents were born outside of the country (1.09k people).

In 2024, there were 28.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.2k people) in Westerly, RI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 571 Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 502 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

97.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Westerly, RI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Westerly, RI was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Westerly, RI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Westerly, RI

White (Non-Hispanic)
16.2k ± 859
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
571 ± 209
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
502 ± 271

3.26%

Hispanic Population

601 people

3.26% of the people in Westerly, RI are hispanic (601 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Westerly, RI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Rhode Island.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
35,692 ± 4,563 people
Guatemala
19,486 ± 3,397 people
Portugal
11,604 ± 2,631 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Rhode Island was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 35,692 Rhode Island residents, followed by Guatemala with 19,486 and Portugal with 11,604.

Foreign-Born Population

5.9%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.09k people

5.68%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.05k people

As of 2024, 5.9% of Westerly, RI residents (1.09k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Westerly, RI was 5.68%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Westerly, RI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
379 ± 217
Vietnam
286 ± 113
Gulf War (2001-)
99 ± 111

Westerly, RI has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 1.33 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Westerly, RI.

Economy

The economy of Westerly, RI employs 9.81k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Westerly, RI were Educational Services (1,284 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,237 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,131 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($155,512), Public Administration ($111,042), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,014).

Employment

Occupations

9.81k

2024 Value

± 906

1.67%

1 Year growth

± 13.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Westerly, RI grew at a rate of 1.67%, from 9.65k employees to 9.81k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Westerly, RI, are Management Occupations (1,163 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,012 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (988 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Westerly, RI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Rhode Island.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Rhode Island (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

9.81k

2024 Value

± 906

1.67%

1 Year growth

± 13.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Westerly, RI grew at a rate of 1.67%, from 9.65k employees to 9.81k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Westerly, RI, are Educational Services (1,284 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,237 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,131 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Westerly, RI, though some of these residents may live in Westerly, RI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$70,469

Median earning men ± $8,332

$51,496

Median earning women ± $4,534

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($142,669), Public Administration ($112,027), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($90,923).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,979), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($60,543), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($54,205).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Westerly, RI was $448,800 in 2024, which is 1.35 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $400,200 to $448,800, a 12.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Westerly, RI is 71.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Westerly, RI have an average commute time of 22.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Westerly, RI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$448,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$14,683

$5,912

Median Property Taxes

±$572

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Westerly, RI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Westerly, RI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71.4%

Homeownership

2024

63.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.4% of the housing units in Westerly, RI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Westerly, RI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$95,207

Median Household Income

± $7,661

8.28k

Number of Households

± 762

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.28k households in Westerly, RI grew to $95,207 from the previous year's value of $82,333.

The following chart displays the households in Westerly, RI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Westerly, RI is from Rhode Island.

0.446

2024 Wage GINI in Rhode Island

0.446

2023 Wage GINI in Rhode Island

In 2024, the income inequality in Rhode Island was 0.446 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.127% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Rhode Island was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Rhode Island in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Rhode Island across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (80.6%)
Worked At Home (10.4%)
Carpooled (5.62%)

In 2024, 80.6% of workers in Westerly, RI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.4%) and those who carpooled to work (5.62%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Westerly, RI have a shorter commute time (22.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.24% of the workforce in Westerly, RI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Westerly, RI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Westerly, RI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Westerly, RI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

5.72% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Westerly, RI (1.04k out of 18.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Westerly, RI is White, followed by Asian and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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