Best Community #13: Northern RI Surprise

Best Community #13: Northern RI Surprise

Burrillville

If you build it (and by it, we mean the state's most beloved chicken dinner restaurant), they will come. And stay. And build, in the faraway corner of Rhode Island's northwest corner, a community that offers real affordability in tough economic times and a low crime rate. For many, this kind of quiet living is worth lining up for. 

Thousands of Rhode Islanders know Burrillville for Wright's Farm family-style chicken dinners, but more now may realize what the town of nearly 16,000 people offers - reasonable housing in a rural setting. The town

ranked 6th statewide in Affordability in 2011, with an Economic Condition ranking of 15th. A reasonable combination. Further, Burrillville placed in the top 5 for Safety, with a very low percentage of crimes per population. Room for improvement: the public schools, which only ranked 30th.

Burrillville by the numbers

Established: 1730
Population: 15,955
Median household income: $68,904
Median housing price: $211,250

2011 Best Communities rankings

Overall ranking: 13
Affordability ranking: 6
Education ranking: 30
Economic condition ranking: 15
Safety ranking: 5
Arts & Culture ranking: 16

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History in a nutshell:

Although Burrillville was established in 1730, the first European settlers arrived in Burrillville in the late 17th century. From its inception, Burrillville was a community based on agriculture and most of its inhabitants were farmers. Aiding to the success of the local agriculture are the series of waterways which imbue the town. Beyond Burrillville’s agricultural past, some of the town’s larger waterways were harnessed during the 19th century to power the textile mills. Since then, Burrillville has become a pleasant residential community with most of its townspeople working out of the town.

Additional research by Nate Holterman