Historical U.S. Census Totals for Washington County, Rhode Island

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Washington County, Rhode Island, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.

Like most areas of New England, Washington County is (and has been at all times since well before the 20th century) entirely divided into incorporated municipalities. There is no unincorporated territory. For any census, adding up the totals for each municipality should yield the county total.

There are two types of municipalities in Rhode Island, towns and cities. The tables in the New England Historical U.S. Census Totals series differentiate between towns and cities; however, there have never been any cities in Washington County. Like some of the other New England states, Rhode Island once also had "districts", which were essentially small and/or recently incorporated town-like communities that did not have the full privileges of a town. The present-day town of Narragansett was a district early in the 20th century.

For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.

Corporate changes since 1900

*1901 - Narragansett, formerly a district, fully incorporated as a town

*1963 - New Shoreham, formerly part of Newport County, joined Washington County

1900

County Total: 24,154
*Westerly 7,541
*South Kingstown 4,972
*North Kingstown 4,194
*Hopkinton 2,602
*Narragansett (district) 1,523
*Richmond 1,506
*Charlestown 975
*Exeter 841

1910

County Total: 24,942
*Westerly 8,696
*South Kingstown 5,176
*North Kingstown 4,048
*Hopkinton 2,324
*Richmond 1,633
*Narragansett 1,250
*Charlestown 1,037
*Exeter 778

1920

County Total: 24,932
*Westerly 9,952
*South Kingstown 5,181
*North Kingstown 3,397
*Hopkinton 2,316
*Richmond 1,301
*Exeter 1,033
*Narragansett 993
*Charlestown 759

1930

County Total: 29,334
*Westerly 10,997
*South Kingstown 6,010
*North Kingstown 4,279
*Hopkinton 2,823
*Richmond 1,535
*Exeter 1,314
*Narragansett 1,258
*Charlestown 1,118

1940

County Total: 32,493
*Westerly 11,199
*South Kingstown 7,282
*North Kingstown 4,604
*Hopkinton 3,230
*Exeter 1,790
*Richmond 1,629
*Narragansett 1,560
*Charlestown 1,199

1950

County Total: 48,542
*North Kingstown 14,810
*Westerly 12,380
*South Kingstown 10,148
*Hopkinton 3,676
*Narragansett 2,288
*Exeter 1,870
*Richmond 1,772
*Charlestown 1,598

1960

County Total: 59,054
*North Kingstown 18,977
*Westerly 14,267
*South Kingstown 11,942
*Hopkinton 4,174
*Narragansett 3,444
*Exeter 2,298
*Richmond 1,986
*Charlestown 1,966

1970

County Total: 85,706
*North Kingstown 29,793
*Westerly 17,248
*South Kingstown 16,913
*Narragansett 7,138
*Hopkinton 5,392
*Exeter 3,245
*Charlestown 2,863
*Richmond 2,625
*New Shoreham 489

1980

County Total: 93,317
*North Kingstown 21,938
*South Kingstown 20,414
*Westerly 18,580
*Narragansett 12,088
*Hopkinton 6,406
*Charlestown 4,800
*Exeter 4,453
*Richmond 4,018
*New Shoreham 620

1990

County Total: 110,006
*South Kingstown 24,612
*North Kingstown 23,786
*Westerly 21,605
*Narragansett 15,004
*Hopkinton 6,873
*Charlestown 6,478
*Exeter 5,461
*Richmond 5,351
*New Shoreham 836

2000

County Total: 123,546

*South Kingstown 27,921
*North Kingstown 26,326
*Westerly 22,966
*Narragansett 16,361
*Charlestown 7,859
*Hopkinton 7,836
*Richmond 7,222
*Exeter 6,045
*New Shoreham 1,010

Notes

1970 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1970 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 1970 total for Washington County was originally reported as 83,586; and for the town of North Kingstown, 27,673. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above.

1990 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1990 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 1970 total for the town of South Kingstown was originally reported as 24,631; and for the town of Narragansett, 14,985. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above. This was apparently done to correct an assignment error between these municipalities; the collective population of the two is the same using either set of figures, so the county total was not affected.

ee also

*United States Census
*Washington County, Rhode Island