West Greenwich is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Kent County,

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, United States. The population was 6,528 at the 2020 census. West Greenwich was named for the historic town of

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, England. It was separated from

East Greenwich East Greenwich is a New England town, town and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island, Kent County, Rhode Island. The population was 14,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within t ...

in 1741. Students go to Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School in West Greenwich.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (1.34%) is water. Escoheag Hill is located within the town and is the site of a former ski area.

Wickaboxet State Forest Wickaboxet State Forest is a 678 acre state management area on Plain Meeting House Road in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1932.Rhode Island: A Guide to the Smallest State, (Federal Writers' Project, Rhode Island, 1937) p. 135 ht ...

is also located in West Greenwich.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 5,085 people, 1,749 households, and 1,451 families in the town. The population density was . There were 1,809 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 97.70% White, 0.28% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69%. Of the 1,749 households 42.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.3% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 13.0% of households were one person and 3.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.18. The age distribution was 28.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males. The median household income was $65,725 and the median family income was $71,332. Males had a median income of $44,306 versus $32,933 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,750. 4.2% of the population and 2.5% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. Out of the total population, 2.7% of those under the age of 18 and 15.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government

In the Rhode Island Senate, West Greenwich is split into three senatorial districts, one of which is currently held by Democrat Leonidas P. Raptakis (District 33) and other by Republican Elaine J. Morgan (District 34). The other, District 21, is currently vacant but was last held by Republican Nicholas D. Kettle before his resignation in February 2018 following a sex scandal. At the federal level, West Greenwich is a part of

Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in southern and western Rhode Island. The district is currently represented by Democrat James Langevin, who has represented the district since January 2001. Composition ...

, which is currently represented by James R. Langevin. In presidential elections, West Greenwich tends to be a fairly independent or swing municipality with a slight Republican tilt. That red lean was strengthened in 2016 when

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

won the town by 23.5 points, the best performance for a Republican in the town in three decades.

Historic places

* Louttit Library (1936) * West Greenwich Baptist Church and Cemetery (1822) * Stephen Allen House (1787) *

Hopkins Hollow Village Hopkins Hollow Village is an historic district along Hopkins Hollow Road, Narrow Lane, and Perry Hill Road in Coventry, Rhode Island, United States, and West Greenwich, Rhode Island. The village features American colonial and Federal era ar ...

(1728)

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Kent County, Rhode Island Providence metropolitan area Towns in Rhode Island