Population 777 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Block Island
Household size in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.06 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.04 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.97 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.59 | 2.49 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.47 | −0.05 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Block Island are small: just 1.59 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.06 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.8 | 39.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 56.2 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.6 | 41.4 | 41.4 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 71.8 | 41.7 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +20.0 | +2.2 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
Block Island skews older: half of its residents are older than 71.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 12.5% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 1.5% | 12.4% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 11.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 12.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Block Island: 6.6% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Block Island
Renters in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.7% | 37.0% | 37.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.0% | 39.0% | 39.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.2% | 38.6% | 39.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.7% | 36.8% | 36.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.7% of households in Block Island rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than half of owners (55.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.1% | 10.3% | 11.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 75.6% | 10.5% | 11.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 74.8% | 10.7% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 78.9% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Block Island: 78.9% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1959 | 1957 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1959 | 1958 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1960 | 1959 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Block Island run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the Providence area overall, where the median home dates to 1962.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $990 | $928 | $941 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $870 | $974 | $988 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $860 | $1,103 | $1,123 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,327 | $1,439 | $1,448 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$337 | +$511 | +$507 | +$606 |
The median renter in Block Island pays $1,327 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 30.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Block Island
Bachelor's degrees in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.3% | 28.5% | 30.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 57.9% | 29.6% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.5% | 32.4% | 34.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 70.6% | 35.2% | 37.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +22.3 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Block Island is highly educated: about seven in ten adults 25 and older (70.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.1% | 82.1% | 83.2% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.0% | 83.9% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.6% | 87.5% | 88.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.5% | 88.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | −11.6 pts | +6.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Block Island never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Block Island
| Period | Block Island | Providence area | Rhode Island | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.5% | 8.5% | 8.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.2% | 10.0% | 9.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Block Island runs well above the national rate: 9.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Block Island compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block Island | 1.59 | 71.8 | 6.6% | 18.7% | 78.9% | 1975 | $1,327 | 70.6% | 84.5% | 9.9% |
| Charlestown | 2.27 | 54.4 | 6.0% | 8.0% | 31.2% | 1977 | $1,473 | 41.8% | 95.7% | 4.7% |
| South Kingstown | 2.27 | 56.7 | 1.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% | 1986 | $1,379 | 58.3% | 96.1% | 4.7% |
| Tuckertown | 2.21 | 59.0 | 2.8% | 5.5% | 10.0% | 1984 | $1,281 | 56.7% | 95.8% | 3.7% |
| Wakefield | 2.27 | 53.7 | 5.5% | 17.0% | 20.3% | 1982 | $1,372 | 59.5% | 96.2% | 6.1% |
| Bradford | 2.46 | 37.1 | 8.4% | 24.6% | 13.6% | 1974 | $1,262 | 39.0% | 97.1% | 6.3% |
| Westerly | 2.24 | 51.5 | 6.4% | 25.3% | 14.0% | 1972 | $1,276 | 46.1% | 94.9% | 4.0% |
| Narragansett Pier | 1.85 | 57.2 | 2.4% | 39.8% | 32.1% | 1976 | $1,770 | 62.9% | 96.5% | 7.6% |
| Kenyon | 2.60 | 46.9 | 6.0% | 7.2% | 11.1% | 1984 | $1,533 | 42.8% | 96.6% | 3.3% |
| Narragansett | 2.45 | 42.4 | 7.8% | 26.1% | 35.4% | 1974 | $2,034 | 65.0% | 97.7% | 6.2% |
| Wakefield-Peacedale | 2.28 | 42.6 | 5.4% | 34.5% | 8.1% | 1970 | $1,316 | 61.6% | 96.2% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sun, MI · Wolf Creek, OR · Tolarsville, NC · Boston Heights, OH · Graniteville, VT · Hull, TX · Hueysville, KY · Holiday Lakes, TX · South Pekin, IL · Hankinson, ND
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Block Island. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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