List of census-designated places in Rhode Island facts for kids
A census-designated place (often called a CDP) is a special kind of community that the United States Census Bureau identifies. It's not an official town or city with its own elected leaders. Instead, it's an area where people live that the Census Bureau defines just for counting people and collecting information. These places don't have legal borders like towns do.
In 2020, the state of Rhode Island had 28 of these census-designated places. Most of them are smaller communities or villages found within larger towns. However, a few CDPs are so large that they cover almost the entire area and population of their towns.
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What is a Census-Designated Place?
A census-designated place is like a neighborhood or a small community that isn't officially a city or town. It doesn't have its own local government, mayor, or town council. The United States Census Bureau creates these areas to get a better idea of where people live, especially in places that aren't formally organized.
Why Do We Have CDPs?
CDPs help the government understand population patterns. They make it easier to collect information about people living in areas that might not have clear boundaries. This data is important for planning services like schools, roads, and emergency services. It also helps with distributing government funds fairly.
How Are CDPs Different from Towns?
The main difference is that a CDP doesn't have its own local government. A town or city has elected officials who make decisions for the community. CDPs are usually part of a larger town or county that handles their services. Think of a CDP as a specific area within a bigger puzzle piece.
Census-Designated Places in Rhode Island
The table below lists all the census-designated places in Rhode Island as of the 2020 census. It shows their population, how big they are, and where they are located.
| Name | County | Population (2020) |
Area (2020) | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sq mi | km2 | ||||
| Ashaway | Washington | 1,501 | 2.4 | 6.2 | 41°25′23″N 71°47′20″W / 41.42306°N 71.78889°W |
| Bradford | Washington | 1,457 | 1.9 | 4.9 | 41°24′2″N 71°44′51″W / 41.40056°N 71.74750°W |
| Carolina | Washington | 924 | 2.5 | 6.5 | 41°27′31″N 71°39′51″W / 41.45861°N 71.66417°W |
| Charlestown | Washington | 7,997 | 2.3 | 6.0 | 41°23′7″N 71°40′5″W / 41.38528°N 71.66806°W |
| Chepachet | Providence | 1,704 | 5.5 | 14.2 | 41°54′54″N 71°40′17″W / 41.91500°N 71.67139°W |
| Clayville | Providence | 312 | 1.75 | 4.5 | 41°46′37″N 71°40′34″W / 41.77694°N 71.67611°W |
| Cumberland Hill | Providence | 8,140 | 3.4 | 8.8 | 41°58′15″N 71°27′35″W / 41.97083°N 71.45972°W |
| Foster Center | Providence | 333 | 2.18 | 5.6 | 41°47′24″N 71°43′44″W / 41.79000°N 71.72889°W |
| Greene | Kent | 914 | 6.09 | 15.8 | 41°41′28″N 71°44′45″W / 41.69111°N 71.74583°W |
| Greenville | Providence | 9,061 | 5.7 | 14.8 | 41°52′36″N 71°33′12″W / 41.87667°N 71.55333°W |
| Harmony | Providence | 1,036 | 2.97 | 7.7 | 41°53′16″N 71°35′48″W / 41.88778°N 71.59667°W |
| Harrisville | Providence | 1,745 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 41°58′7″N 71°40′48″W / 41.96861°N 71.68000°W |
| Hope Valley | Washington | 1,870 | 3.5 | 9.1 | 41°30′43″N 71°42′55″W / 41.51194°N 71.71528°W |
| Hopkinton | Washington | 8,398 | 3.3 | 8.5 | 41°27′40″N 71°46′39″W / 41.46111°N 71.77750°W |
| Kingston | Washington | 7,825 | 1.56 | 4.0 | 41°28′23.44″N 71°31′26.84″W / 41.4731778°N 71.5241222°W |
| Melville | Newport | 1,609 | 5.1 | 13.2 | 41°35′16.37″N 71°17′3.67″W / 41.5878806°N 71.2843528°W |
| Misquamicut | Washington | 434 | 1.25 | 3.2 | 41°19′26″N 71°49′19″W / 41.32389°N 71.82194°W |
| Narragansett Pier | Washington | 3,308 | 3.9 | 10.1 | 41°25′48″N 71°27′59″W / 41.43000°N 71.46639°W |
| Newport East | Newport | 12,337 | 5.75 | 14.9 | 41°30′31″N 71°17′17″W / 41.50861°N 71.28806°W |
| Pascoag | Providence | 4,641 | 5.5 | 14.2 | 41°57′27″N 71°42′21″W / 41.95750°N 71.70583°W |
| Quonochontaug | Washington | 422 | 5.5 | 14.2 | 41°20′42.29″N 71°42′16.77″W / 41.3450806°N 71.7046583°W |
| Tiverton | Newport | 7,809 | 4.18 | 10.8 | 41°39′14.45″N 71°12′1.40″W / 41.6540139°N 71.2003889°W |
| Valley Falls | Providence | 12,094 | 3.7 | 9.6 | 41°55′3″N 71°23′32″W / 41.91750°N 71.39222°W |
| Wakefield-Peacedale | Washington | 8,925 | 5.1 | 13.2 | 41°26′28″N 71°29′57″W / 41.44111°N 71.49917°W |
| Watch Hill | Washington | 212 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 41°18′49″N 71°50′59″W / 41.31361°N 71.84972°W |
| Weekapaug | Washington | 467 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 41°19′51″N 71°45′18″W / 41.33083°N 71.75500°W |
| Westerly | Washington | 18,423 | 15.83 | 41.0 | 41°22′23.88″N 71°48′24.41″W / 41.3733000°N 71.8067806°W |
| Wyoming | Washington | 415 | 0.86 | 2.2 | 41°30′57″N 71°42′12″W / 41.51583°N 71.70333°W |
See also
