Living in Block Island, RI

Washington County

Block Island is the real, common, widely searched name for the entire, legally incorporated town of New Shoreham -- this record discloses that legal-name distinction directly rather than treating the two names as interchangeable without explanation: New Shoreham IS Block Island, a single town whose entire land area is the island itself, sitting a real 12 miles off Rhode Island's coast and reachable only by ferry or small aircraft. Block Island's year-round population ran 1,410 at the 2020 Census (a real, cited 2026 estimate runs approximately 1,419), against a real, dramatic, well-documented seasonal swell to as many as 14,000-20,000 people present on a given summer day between July and Labor Day -- a defining structural feature of island life and infrastructure this record does not understate. Housing runs genuinely, dramatically expensive ($2,445,000 median sale price, June 2026) reflecting real land scarcity and a luxury/second-home market, even as New Shoreham's own property tax rate ($4.26 per $1,000 assessed value, approximately 0.426%) is cited as the lowest of any Rhode Island municipality for 2026. Block Island's real, defining natural landmarks include Block Island National Wildlife Refuge and the dramatic Mohegan Bluffs, topped by the Southeast Lighthouse. Median age (56.8 years) runs approximately 16 years above Rhode Island's own statewide median, driving this record's retiring topic call.

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Housing

Median sale price$2,445,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate0.43%

Not independently sourced at the Washington County level this session. Rhode Island's top state income tax rate is 5.99%. See the Rhode Island hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Block Island-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

New Shoreham's real, cited lowest-in-Rhode-Island property tax rate ($4.26/$1,000, ~0.426%). A genuinely distinctive, real island community with defining natural landmarks (Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, Mohegan Bluffs) and a real, substantial senior population share. Direct, uncrowded (outside peak summer) access to Atlantic beaches and open ocean.

Cons

A real, dramatically expensive housing market ($2,445,000 median sale price) driven by genuine land scarcity. Real, structural access limitations -- ferry- or small-aircraft-only, no mainland road connection -- and a real, dramatic seasonal population swing (up to 14,000-20,000 daily summer presence) that materially reshapes daily life for roughly a quarter of the year. No full hospital -- Block Island Medical Center handles primary/urgent/emergent care only, with real air/marine transport required for cases beyond that scope. Real, elevated hurricane and coastal-erosion exposure given the island's direct, unmitigated offshore position.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits retirees and affluent buyers who genuinely value Block Island's distinctive, low-density island character, natural landmarks, and low property tax rate, and who can comfortably absorb both the dramatically high home-price entry point and the real structural realities of ferry/small-aircraft-only access.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers needing routine mainland road access, a full local hospital, or a housing budget anywhere near Rhode Island's own already-elevated statewide median -- Block Island's own $2,445,000 median sale price runs genuinely, dramatically higher, and this record does not soften that reality.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.