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Little Compton, RI

This is a small community in a single neighborhood. As throughout the site, some neighborhood-level data are reserved for subscribers.





Overview


Little Compton is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Rhode Island. With a population of 3,589 people and just one neighborhood, Little Compton is the 38th largest community in Rhode Island.

Little Compton home prices are not only among the most expensive in Rhode Island, but Little Compton real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Occupations and Workforce

Little Compton is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 89.51% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Little Compton is a town of professionals, managers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Little Compton who work in management occupations (18.41%), sales jobs (10.21%), and teaching (8.42%).

Of important note, Little Compton is also a town of artists. Little Compton has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Little Compton’s character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 14.05% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Setting & Lifestyle

Another notable thing is that Little Compton is a major vacation destination. Much of the town’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Little Compton’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.

Because of many things, Little Compton is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Little Compton a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Little Compton has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Little Compton’s overall crime rate ranks among the lowest in the country, making it one of the safest places to raise a family.

Little Compton is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

As is often the case in a small town, Little Compton doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

Demographics

If knowledge is power, Little Compton is a pretty powerful place. 62.82% of the adults in Little Compton have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Little Compton in 2022 was $99,744, which is wealthy relative to Rhode Island and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $398,976 for a family of four.

The people who call Little Compton home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Little Compton residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Little Compton include Irish, English, Portuguese, French, and German.

The most common language spoken in Little Compton is English. Other important languages spoken here include Portuguese and Chinese.

Notable & Unique Neighborhood Characteristics

Many things matter about a neighborhood, but the first thing most people notice is the way a neighborhood looks and its particular character. For example, one might notice whether the buildings all date from a certain time period or whether shop signs are in multiple languages. This particular neighborhood in Little Compton, the neighborhood, has some outstanding things about the way it looks and its way of life that are worth highlighting.

Real Estate

is a neighborhood that is on the ocean, a bay, or inlet. Many times, such places have amenities that bring locals and visitors to the waterfront for recreational activities or to check out the scenery. In some densely populated areas that are less financially well-off, the neighborhood waterfront can be relatively industrial and less open to recreation. In addition to being coastal, is a very nautical neighborhood, meaning that it is somewhat historic, walkable, densely populated and on the water. This gives the neighborhood a very nautical feel, with some seaside and shipping feel, which some may really enjoy the sights and sounds of.

In addition, vacant homes and apartments are a significant characteristic of this neighborhood. In fact, with 37.7% of the residential real estate vacant, the neighborhood claims the distinction of having a higher vacancy rate than 97.1% of the neighborhoods in America. This can either be because much of the property is seasonally occupied, like in many vacation areas, or that much of the real estate is more permanently abandoned.

People

If you are planning to retire in Rhode Island, this neighborhood should be on your must-see list. For many reasons, may be considered a retiree's dream neighborhood. According to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis and metrics, it's peaceful and quiet, has above average safety from crime compared to other neighborhoods in Rhode Island, while also offering a diverse range of housing options. This, along with the vibrant mix of very educated seniors and other age groups who choose to live here, makes the neighborhood more retiree-friendly than 97.2% of neighborhoods in RI. If a Rhode Island retirement is in your future, this neighborhood should be one of the places you visit. In addition to being an excellent choice for active retirees, this neighborhood is also a very good choice for urban sophisticates, highly educated executives and families with school-aged children.

Diversity

Did you know that the neighborhood has more Portuguese and French ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 19.6% of this neighborhood's residents have Portuguese ancestry and 11.4% have French ancestry.

is also pretty special linguistically. Significantly, 1.8% of its residents five years old and above primarily speak Portuguese at home. While this may seem like a small percentage, it is higher than 97.3% of the neighborhoods in America.

The Neighbors

How wealthy a neighborhood is, from very wealthy, to middle income, to low income is very formative with regard to the personality and character of a neighborhood. Equally important is the rate of people, particularly children, who live below the federal poverty line. In some wealthy gated communities, the areas immediately surrounding can have high rates of childhood poverty, which indicates other social issues. NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals both aspects of income and poverty for this neighborhood.

The neighbors in the neighborhood in Little Compton are wealthy, making it among the 15% highest income neighborhoods in America. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis reveals that this neighborhood has a higher income than 91.0% of the neighborhoods in America. In addition, 2.3% of the children seventeen and under living in this neighborhood are living below the federal poverty line, which is a lower rate of childhood poverty than is found in 74.2% of America's neighborhoods.

A neighborhood is far different if it is dominated by enlisted military personnel rather than people who earn their living by farming. It is also different if most of the neighbors are clerical support or managers. What is wonderful is the sheer diversity of neighborhoods, allowing you to find the type that fits your lifestyle and aspirations.

In the neighborhood, 57.9% of the working population is employed in executive, management, and professional occupations. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is sales and service jobs, from major sales accounts, to working in fast food restaurants, with 22.4% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in manufacturing and laborer occupations (9.7%), and 9.2% in clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations.

Languages

The most common language spoken in the neighborhood is English, spoken by 98.1% of households.

Ethnicity / Ancestry

Culture is the shared learned behavior of peoples. Undeniably, different ethnicities and ancestries have different cultural traditions, and as a result, neighborhoods with concentrations of residents of one or another ethnicities or ancestries will express those cultures. It is what makes the North End in Boston so fun to visit for the Italian restaurants, bakeries, culture, and charm, and similarly, why people enjoy visiting Chinatown in San Francisco.

In the neighborhood in Little Compton, RI, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as Irish (22.3%). There are also a number of people of English ancestry (21.9%), and residents who report Portuguese roots (19.6%), and some of the residents are also of French ancestry (11.4%), along with some German ancestry residents (8.6%), among others.

Getting to Work

How you get to work – car, bus, train or other means – and how much of your day it takes to do so is a large quality of life and financial issue. Especially with gasoline prices rising and expected to continue doing so, the length and means of one's commute can be a financial burden. Some neighborhoods are physically located so that many residents have to drive in their own car, others are set up so many walk to work, or can take a train, bus, or bike. The greatest number of commuters in neighborhood spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work (33.1% of working residents), one of the shortest commutes across America.

Here most residents (76.5%) drive alone in a private automobile to get to work. In a neighborhood like this, as in most of the nation, many residents find owning a car useful for getting to work.


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Economics & Demographics include:
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Migration & Mobility
Race & Ethnic Diversity
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Crime includes:
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Schools include:
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