Living in Charlestown or South Kingstown (Providence, Westerly: insurance, home, school rankings)

[AnneConstance]

I need some more info about Charlestown as a place to live and raise a family. It's BEAUTIFUL and has LOTS to offer and do and we are definitely beach people, and it's close to Westerly and close to where our family lives in CT... BUT... it seems SO expensive... we want to live in a decent house. I work in insurance and my husband's a police officer. I've heard that even if we lived there with high taxes and high cost of living, our salaries would even it out - is this true? I also want to know what people think of the schools and how family-oriented Charlestown is... as well as South Kingstown, because that's our back-up option (in which case, my husband would work in Providence rather than Westerly).

Thanks!

[janagrsa]

We live on the charlestown side of westerly and charlestown has the lowest taxes in the area, followed by westerly. South Kingtown's home prices are higher than Charlestown. I guess it's what you are looking for. I wouldn't really say that one is better than the other, but South Kingstown does have the shopping compared to Charlestown. What do you consider expensive?

Charlestown is also part of the Chariho School District, they have their own elementary school, and then for middle and hs it's a region school district.

What about Westerly?

Heather

[rockfisherman]

Originally Posted by AnneConstance

I need some more info about Charlestown as a place to live and raise a family. It's BEAUTIFUL and has LOTS to offer and do and we are definitely beach people, and it's close to Westerly and close to where our family lives in CT... BUT... it seems SO expensive... we want to live in a decent house. I work in insurance and my husband's a police officer. I've heard that even if we lived there with high taxes and high cost of living, our salaries would even it out - is this true? I also want to know what people think of the schools and how family-oriented Charlestown is... as well as South Kingstown, because that's our back-up option (in which case, my husband would work in Providence rather than Westerly).

Thanks!

I lived 4 years in Charlestown and have lived in South Kingstown for the last 12 years. The current property tax rate in C-Town is $7.51 per thousand, and in S.K. it is $11.51 (down from $13 and change due to revaluations). It doesn't sound like much, but the property taxes are a shock in S.K. compared to C-Town.

Here's a link to school info:

Rhode Island Living - Finding your dream home has never been easier!

Google school rankings and you'll find some sites with school info. I can't comment on the schools as I did not have kids in school in either town.

You say you want to live in a "decent" house...housing is more expensive in the coastal towns...you'll find cheaper housing inland. I work with folks that live in Richmond and Hopkinton (just north of Westerly and C-Town) and the housing is less expensive there.

[Pattig]

Originally Posted by AnneConstance

I need some more info about Charlestown as a place to live and raise a family. It's BEAUTIFUL and has LOTS to offer and do and we are definitely beach people, and it's close to Westerly and close to where our family lives in CT... BUT... it seems SO expensive... we want to live in a decent house. I work in insurance and my husband's a police officer. I've heard that even if we lived there with high taxes and high cost of living, our salaries would even it out - is this true? I also want to know what people think of the schools and how family-oriented Charlestown is... as well as South Kingstown, because that's our back-up option (in which case, my husband would work in Providence rather than Westerly).

Thanks!

Being the ex-wife of a police officer, your husband may not be able to choose where he wants to work as a police officer. It is an extremely competive job to get in RI and not one easily acquired even with years of experience. Just thought you may want to know that first before you decide where to move.