Rhode Island Counties by Population (2024)

There are 5 counties in Rhode Island. The largest county in terms of population is, by far, Providence County, which has a population of 636,084 residents. Providence County accounts for 60.16% of the state’s total population. Kent County has the second-highest population of 163,861, followed by Washington County with 126,179 people. Together, these three counties make up about 87.59% of Rhode Island’s total population.

Rhode Islands Counties with the Fewest Residents

Bristol County has the fewest residents of any Rhode Island county with 48,649 residents, accounting for about 4.60% of the state’s total population. Despite this, Bristol is Rhode Island’s most densely populated county with 2,014.37 persons per square kilometer. New Port county is the second-least populous county in Rhode Island with 82,542 residents, about 7.81% of the state’s population.

Rhode Island Counties with Rapid Growth

Only Providence County has experienced population growth since 2010, growing 1.32%. Rhode Island’s other four counties have all experienced population decline, although by relatively small percentages: Bristol (2.34%), Kent (1.31%), Newport (0.76), Washington (0.73%).