The Best Communities: The Big Chart
Thursday, June 17, 2010
GoLocalProv ranked every single community in Rhode Island on the basis of five factors: housing affordability, median income and effective tax rates, schools, crime rates, and arts and culture. Below is the ranking of all 39 cities and towns in Rhode Island. Where is your community?
Best Communities Weight Breakdown
Housing Affordability (16.667%)
Economic Condition (16.667%)
Education (16.667%)
Safety (16.667%)
Arts & Culture (33.333%)
Footnotes:
Jamestown’s 11th grade data is based on North Kingstown’s data report because Jamestown high schoolers attend North Kingstown’s high school.
Little Compton’s 11th grade data is based on Portsmouth’s data report because Little Compton high schoolers attend Portsmouth.
New Shoreham’s data for 4th and 11th grade was not available because there were less than 10 students taking the tests in those grades. District data was substituted.
Exeter’s crime data is based on a ranking by NeighborhoodScout.com
Related Articles
- Behind the Numbers: How We Determined the Best Communities
- The Best Communities in Rhode Island
- Best Communities: Rhode Island Reacts
- Best Community #1: Cranston
- Best Community #2: Foster
- Best Community #3: South Kingstown
- Best Community #4: Glocester
- Best Community #5: Barrington
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Comments:
Leslie Scott
8:59am on Wednesday, June 16, 2010
"Data" is a plural noun. You should say, "data are" or "data were."
Thanks.
Parker Lacoste
10:44am on Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Where did you get the data for the "Arts & Culture" column? The number for New Shoreham should be a lot higher than 19...
John Ward
3:17pm on Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Useless report. Predictable bias towards the urban centers where most art & cultural operations would locate based on proximity to their customers!
The only thing dragging down Providence is their test scores and high crime rate.
Try adjusting the arts & cultural factor for poulation and then apply your 33.333% and you may find that Providence and Cranston drop in the ranking.
Many who take advantage of the arts & cultural venues don't live in those cities.
Rhonda Ricci
6:26pm on Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Coventry's effective tax rate is not $13.81 it is $15.46.
Federico Santi
1:50pm on Thursday, June 17, 2010
The more we continue to explore Rhode Island, the more confirmed we are that we live in the most beautiful city in our little state. This is our 25 year in Newport and there is no other place in Rhode Island where we would rather live, no matter what the statistics or charts say !
Alan Voll
1:19pm on Friday, June 18, 2010
Newport is ranked #32 out of 39? That is absurd; your statistical model is obviously flawed. Anyone who has visited RI knows that NPT is without a doubt one of the very best cities in the state, and certainly one of the best in all of New England. This ranking would lead one to believe that Newport is a terrible place to live, with a rampant crime problem; nothing could be further from the truth.
ethan leary
2:35am on Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Newport ranked number #32 is a blessing, one would think there is no crime there, but you would be surprised, Newport is spending millions of dollars to fix up its low income areas, as well as the city all together. Don't get me wrong, you'll find the nicest if not best or safest areas in southern Newport, where all the mansions are, but go up town, its a whole another story.
If you look over the last 10-20 years what Newport has done to replenish its self, you might be surprised. Turning multiple low income housing units into condos and so on. As well as bidding of other low income housing develpoments to a company that controls other develpometns in NYC, Denever, FL, New Orelans, outside chicago and so on? That should say something to you right there.
For communities in RI, the crime recorded there puts the city in the top 3-4 year in and year out. Crime has already been cut in half over the last decade, this may or may not be traced to the minority population packing up and leaving but don't let this deceive you. Considering that about 25,000 people live there year round and it jumps to over 100 thousand plus all the day visitors in the summer, the city is like no other in RI
See the sad thing is, people expect everyone from Newport to live in massive houses, but the only difference between Newport and the rest of the cities in RI, even southern New England is the mansions. They are the sole reason southern Newport has a chance to stay somewhat nice, and somewhat safe.Don't believe this, look at every other city on the water in southern New England, they cant find anything to push industry forward and crime down.
By the way, if you look at a map of Newport, I'd say about 2-3 square miles belong to the military/ and or Government run organizations, where else can you find that in RI? ONLY Providence and Newport have 50% or more of its properties that are currently non taxable, i.e. churches, government controlled, etc. So for the cities out there in RI that can barley stay in the green, maybe you should find a way to copy those two cities?
If you don't believe me, look for yourself, the web and the library can be very helpful.
Newport's crime per population is ridiculous, the 8.38% is amazing, considering about 5 years ago it was above 11% I believe..That is about one out of every 10 people there committing a property or violent crime, am I not right? See we people on the other side of the bridges don't hear about it, blame that on the media, and our stupidity. Central Falls is all you hear about lately? Woonsocket, Providence, Pawtucket?
Why don't we hear about Newport, when Newport's crime is ranked 3rd over all in TOTAL (which only Providence and Pawtucket had higher crime rates) according to the 2008 FBI crime report I believe. Lets think about this for a second, Newport about 25,000 people committing more crime than places 2, 3, even 4 times as more populated than it?
Even worse, you can go back to articles from many years ago, and see how Newport has almost consecutively had the highest crime rate per population for years now? Maybe this carries no weight to you. Well lets say Newport had a population of only a FEW thousand more than Providence GUESS what Newport would be ranked in the TOP 50 most dangerous cities in the US. Only one city in New England would be considered more dangerous and have a higher crime, that would be Boston. Surprised yet?. Way higher up the list than Providence has ever even seen.
But luckily for us, this wont happen in our lifetimes, if ever. I heard earlier today about a shooting in Cranston at a saloon? Did anyone hear about the young man who got shot at almost ten times, go hit by two bullets in the low income housing units in Newport a while back? I doubt it?
#32 is a blessing, without those 111 Arts and Cultures sources, I'd say Newport could drop to 36 if not lower. I'm sure most of you haven't lived in Newport, and it doesn't count if you rent a summer house there, because well almost everyone and there mother has sometime in their lifetime. Take a trip to the north side of Newport stay up there for a few months, see if you want to raise a family there? And the come tell me #32 is flawed.