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.