New Shoreham is a town in

Washington County, Rhode Island Washington County, known locally as South County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,839. Rhode Island counties have no governmental functions other than as court administra ...

that is coextensive with

Block Island Block Island is an island in the U.S. state of Rhode Island located in Block Island Sound approximately south of the mainland and east of Montauk Point, Long Island, New York, named after Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. It is part of Washingto ...

. The town was named for Shoreham, Kent, in England. According to the Census Bureau, it has a total area of , of which is land and (91.11%) is water. New Shoreham holds the distinction of southernmost town in both Washington County as well as all of the state of Rhode Island. The students of New Shoreham in grades kindergarten through 12th grade attend Block Island School. Harbor Church was founded on October 23, 1765 and is located at 21 Water Street in New Shoreham.

Demographics

At the 2000 census, there were 1,010 people, 472 households, and 250 families in the town. The population of New Shoreham was 1,410 at the 2020 census, making it the least-populous municipality in the state. The population density was . There were 1,606 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 97.82% White, 0.59% African American, 0.79% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population. Of the 472 households 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 35.0% of households were one person and 12.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.82. The age distribution was 18.3% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median household income was $44,779 and the median family income was $59,844. Males had a median income of $39,432 versus $28,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,188. About 8.0% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Hayward Alker Hayward R. Alker (1937 – 2007) was a Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California School of International Relations, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Yale University. Alker was also former ...

(1937–2007), professor of international relations *

William G. Angel William Gardner Angel (July 17, 1790 – August 13, 1858) was an American politician and lawyer who served two terms as a U.S. Representative for New York's 13th congressional district from 1825 to 1827, and from 1829 to 1833. Early life and e ...

(1790–1858), member of the U.S. House of Representatives *

Kenneth Bacon Kenneth Hogate Bacon (November 21, 1944 – August 15, 2009) was an American journalist who served as a spokesman for the Department of Defense during the Presidency of Bill Clinton, and later as president of Refugees International, an organizatio ...

(1944–2009), journalist and former

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

official *

Catharine Littlefield Greene Catharine Littlefield "Caty" Greene Miller (February 17, 1755 – September 2, 1814) was the wife of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. She was a mother of five, and noted for being a supporter of the inventor Eli Whitney. ...

(1755–1814), wife of

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...

William Paine Sheffield Sr. William Paine Sheffield (August 30, 1820June 2, 1907) was a United States representative and Senator from Rhode Island. Biography Born in New Shoreham (on Block Island), he completed preparatory studies, attended Kingston Academy, and gradua ...

(1820–1907), politician * John Underhill (1597–1672), soldier, captain, and early

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as th ...

settler

References

{{authority control Towns in Washington County, Rhode Island Populated coastal places in Rhode Island Towns in Rhode Island