Biggest Retail Cities in Rhode Island: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Rhode Island has 8,168 independent retail places spread across 61 towns. Providence leads with 1,207 — 14.8% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Rhode Island by the numbers
Where the stores are
Rhode Island has 8,168 independent retail places — 745.3 per 100,000 residents, 1.03× the national average of 724.8 and 25th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Providence holds 1,207 of them (14.8% of the state total). Warwick is second with 866 (10.6%). The 25 towns below account for 86.5% of Rhode Island's retail; 61 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (871, 10.7% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (577).
Top 25 retail towns in Rhode Island
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Rhode Island's 8,168 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence | 1,207 | 14.8% |
| 2 | Warwick | 866 | 10.6% |
| 3 | Cranston | 634 | 7.8% |
| 4 | Newport | 512 | 6.3% |
| 5 | Pawtucket | 355 | 4.3% |
| 6 | Westerly | 285 | 3.5% |
| 7 | North Kingstown | 258 | 3.2% |
| 8 | Johnston | 243 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Woonsocket | 208 | 2.5% |
| 10 | Coventry | 199 | 2.4% |
| 11 | East Providence | 194 | 2.4% |
| 12 | Middletown | 190 | 2.3% |
| 13 | East Greenwich | 187 | 2.3% |
| 14 | Bristol | 177 | 2.2% |
| 15 | North Providence | 175 | 2.1% |
| 16 | Wakefield | 173 | 2.1% |
| 17 | West Warwick | 170 | 2.1% |
| 18 | Cumberland | 163 | 2.0% |
| 19 | Smithfield | 160 | 2.0% |
| 20 | Warren | 152 | 1.9% |
| 21 | Lincoln | 124 | 1.5% |
| 22 | Portsmouth | 118 | 1.4% |
| 23 | Narragansett | 110 | 1.3% |
| 24 | Tiverton | 106 | 1.3% |
| 25 | Barrington | 97 | 1.2% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Rhode Island
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Rhode Island, with each one's share of the state's 8,168 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 871 | 10.7% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 577 | 7.1% |
| 3 | Jewelry Store | 493 | 6.0% |
| 4 | Clothing Store | 459 | 5.6% |
| 5 | Furniture and Home Store | 349 | 4.3% |
| 6 | Gift Store | 311 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Print Store | 305 | 3.7% |
| 8 | Shoe Store | 267 | 3.3% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Rhode Island has the most retail stores?
- Providence, with 1,207 independent retail places — 14.8% of Rhode Island's 8,168 total. Warwick is next with 866.
- How many independent retail stores are in Rhode Island?
- 8,168 shoppable independent retail places, or 745.3 per 100,000 residents (1.03× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Rhode Island 25th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Rhode Island?
- The construction supplies store: 871 places, or 10.7% of Rhode Island's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 577.
Related reports
Store types where Rhode Island ranks in the top 10
- Jewelry Stores by State: Every State RankedRhode Island ranks #2 per capita (45 per 100k)
- Florists by State: Every State RankedRhode Island ranks #8 per capita (21.4 per 100k)
- Gift Shops by State: Every State RankedRhode Island ranks #9 per capita (28.4 per 100k)
- Pet Stores by State: Every State RankedRhode Island ranks #9 per capita (24.2 per 100k)
- Antique Stores by State: Every State RankedRhode Island ranks #9 per capita (18.6 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Oklahoma: Top 25 Towns Ranked28,616 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Oregon: Top 25 Towns Ranked35,446 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Pennsylvania: Top 25 Towns Ranked98,947 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in South Carolina: Top 25 Towns Ranked39,138 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in South Dakota: Top 25 Towns Ranked7,453 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Tennessee: Top 25 Towns Ranked55,102 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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