Rhode Island Counties by Population (2025)

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.

The most populous counties in Rhode Island are:

• Providence County (636,084)
• Kent County (163,861)
• Washington County (126,179)

Together, these three counties make up about 87.59% of Rhode Island‘s total population.

Counties with 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.

Newport County is the second-least populous county in Rhode Island with 82,542 residents, about 7.81% of the state’s population.

Population Changes

Only Providence County has experienced population growth since 2010, growing 1.32%.

Rhode Island’s other four counties have all experienced population decline:

• Bristol County (-2.34%)
• Kent County (-1.31%)
• Newport County (-0.76%)
• Washington County (-0.73%)