West+Greenwich+Community

__**WEST GREENWICH**__

West Greenwich is a large town in central Rhode Island and is known as one of the smallest, least densely populated towns in the state, with a population of only 6,135 people. This report details the geography, as well as the economic, health and educational aspects of its children.
 * Introduction**

Zip Code: 02817 West Greenwich constitutes 51.3 square miles, 50.6 of which are land and 0.7 of which is water. This town is located in Kent county, located in the center of mainland Rhode Island. It is bordered in the north by Coventry, in the east by East Greenwich, in the south by Exeter, and in the west by Connecticut. It has relatively low population density,121.2 people per square mile, compared to that of the state as a whole, 1,006 people per square mile. The town is mostly woodlands, with minimal development, compared to cities like Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, and Warwick.
 * Geography**



West Greenwich, Rhode Island is an example of a fairly prosperous U.S. town. The median household income is well above that of the state and the country. West Greenwich leads the nation and the state in median household income by over 30,000 dollars each. The poverty level is also much lower in comparison to the state. The poverty level in Rhode Island is 10.6% whereas in West Greenwich it is only 5.9%. The only area in which West Greenwich trails both the state and the nation is in unemployment. The unemployment rate in West Greenwich is 7.5%, however in Rhode Island the rate is 6.8% and in the U.S. it is 6.5%.
 * West Greenwich In General**

West Greenwich is not particularly diverse. In fact, the number of individuals in each minority group does not even reach the hundreds. 5,873 of the 5,974 occupants of West Greenwich are White. There are only approximately 51 African Americans, 63 Asians and 23 Hispanic individuals. There are no American Indian or Alaskan natives. Also, out of West Greenwich's 5,974 residents around 1,300 are school age children. The Median age is around 38.5 which likely correlates with the number of youths in West Greenwich.

West Greenwich, Rhode Island (02817) is located centrally in the state, bordered on three sides by other in state towns, including coventry, East Greenwich, and Exeter, and is bordered on one side by Connecticut. It is 51.3 square miles with a population density of only 121.2 people per square mile, which reflects the dominance of woodlands over urban development in this town. West Greenwich is home to only 1,477 kids, .6% of the state's total child population of 223,956. Racially, the city is not very diverse. It consist of 91% white children, 4% hispanic, 1% Asian, 1% black, and less than 1% American Indian or Alaska natives. Only 15% of the kids in the town live with single parents, 5% live with grandparents, and 9.3% in families below the poverty line. Each of these percentages is below the state-wide statistics, demonstrating that in general, families in West Greenwich are more stable than other cities around the state.
 * West Greenwich and Its Kids**

Economically, the children here are also more financially stable, than in other places in Rhode Island. 5% of kids are on a food stamp program, whereas in the state 28% of kids depend on this assistance. Only 18% of kids require school breakfasts when across the state, 36% of children do. The median income here is also about $22,000 above the state-wide value. Evidently, in West Greenwich, kids are less afflicted by problems related to poverty and financial troubles.
 * Economic Indicators**

In regards to health and safety, the kids in this town are also on the higher end of the spectrum. There are only 201 children in West Greenwich requiring medical assistance, representing a mere 0.2% of the total kids with medical help in the state among the 39 cities. Also, of the 5,570 asthma diagnoses made by hospital visits, only 17 of these were from West Greenwich. There is lower marijuana rates than in the state overall, but the alcohol and cigarette uses are consistent. There are also only 3.4 kids out of every thousand that are abused or neglected and only 4.1 with incarcerated parents. As a result of all these factors, health and safety levels in West Greenwich are higher than that of many other cities in Rhode Island.
 * Health Indicators**

Education in West Greenwich shows higher achievement than many others. 82% of 4th graders are at or above reading proficiency and 78% are at or above math proficiency levels. Their proficiency increases as they age, with 93% of 8th graders at or above reading proficiency level and 80% at or above math proficiency. All of these numbers are above the statewide averages by over 10%. Although there is only one early learning center licensed, it does not have a negative impact on the community's education. There are no schools making insufficient progress, a high school attendance rate of 95%, and a high school graduation rate of 86%. Given all of these factors, West Greenwich landed itself the spot as 7th best school district in the state out of 39.
 * Educational Indicators**

“West Greenwich, Rhode Island.” //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia// 1 Nov. 2012. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. Rhode Island Kids Count. “All Indicators - City / Town Fact Sheets.” //RI KIds Count//. 2011 2010. Web. 6 Nov. 2012.