Best Community #21: Star in the Making
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Richmond
Profoundly rural, this town attributes 60% of its area to uninhabited woodlands, but hosts one of Rhode Island's most popular old-style entertainments: the Washington County Fair. Life in this southern community is just that: remote, peaceful, and a bit old-fashioned.
What sets Richmond, then, apart in 2011's rankings? Education, for one. Part of the Chariho Regional School district, Richmond shares 6th place with Charlestown and Hopkinton in this year's Education assessment of 4th, 8th, and 11th grade performance. It sits solidly in the state's top 20 communities for Economic Condition, and in the top 10 for Safety. Not bad for a quiet little town in Southern Rhode Island.
Richmond by the numbers
Established: 1669
Population: 7,708
Median household income: $75,273
Median housing price: $265,000
2011 Best Communities rankings
Overall ranking: 21
Affordability ranking: 19
Education ranking: 6
Economic condition ranking: 18
Safety ranking: 9
Arts & Culture ranking: 36
History in a nutshell:
Richmond was a part of Charlestown before it was separated and incorporated as its own town in 1747. The town was named after Edward Richmond, the Attorney General of the colony from 1671 to 1680 who was integral in the founding of the colony. 17th-century Richmond was a popular settlement area for early Americans and wealthy Narragansett planters brought wealth to the town. While agriculture was the primary way of life in the early days, industry took its hold and much of the wealth garnered from the planters moved into the bigger cities. However, Richmond had a part to play in industry as well. Aiding to its cause was Richmond’s location near the water which allowed for water powered mills to advance the textile industry. Today, Richmond is still a rural area, as about 60% of it remains uninhabited woodlands.
Additional research by Nate Holterman
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