SperlingViews - Charlestown, Rhode_island

Although living in the South County area of Rhode Island has many advantages (the ocean and beach, quite rural areas, great schools, and very little serious crime), trying to find a good job in any type of manufacturing industry or a professional position is somewhat difficult. There simply isn't a lot of industry close by. General Dynamics (defense contractor) and American Power Conversion (power supply protection equipment) are two of the largest manufacturing companies in the area. Many of the manufacturing industries and professional services industries (banking, communications, pharmaceuticals, medical) are located in or near the cities of Warwick, Cranston, and Providence. That translates any where from a 1/2 to 1 hour commute each way. That may not seem like much to some people but to most Rhode Island natives, it's way too far for them! Home prices and housing costs are not cheap in southern Rhode Island either, due mainly to the proximity of the ocean and the rural surroundings. Real estate taxes can be quite high, depending on which town you live in. A homeowner with a $300,000 home in one town might pay $2700 in property tax, whereas the same home in neighboring town might pay in excess of $5000 per year in real estate tax! There are many homes for sale to choose from, however, with prices anywhere between $150,000 to in excess of $1,500,000.[read more...]

Charlestown, RI is a beautiful oceanside community with some of the best sandy beaches in all of New England (no kidding, as evidenced by all of the out-of-state tourists that come here each summer!). It is a relatively quiet area on the southern coast of Rhode Island, yet not too far from major cities (of course, nothing is that far away in Rhode Island). Charlestown enjoys one of the lowest tax rates in RI, but housing costs can be very high, particularly near the ocean. There are several events that take place in or around Charlestown that attract visitors from all over New England including the Charlestown Seafood Festival, the Jazz Festival, and the Washington County Fair. Overall, Charlestown is a great place to live if you can afford it.[read more...]