Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,819 at the 2000 census.

In July of 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

Geography

Barrington is located at 41°44′42″N, 71°19′5″W (41.745201, -71.318193)¹ along the tidal Barrington River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.9 km² (15.4 mi²). 21.8 km² (8.4 mi²) of it is land and 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²) of it (45.46%) is water.

History

The land in Barrington was originally granted by the King of England to members of the Mayflower party. Some parts of the town retain names from this land grant, including Prince's Hill, named for Thomas Prince.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Barrington was home of the Barrington Brick Works, which made bricks that were used in construction worldwide. Many laborers from Italy lived in Barrington and worked in the brickyard. Their descendents still make up a significant portion of the town population.

Since the 1980s, Barrington has attracted an increasingly affluent population, drawn from academics, professionals and executives who work in Providence.

Demographics

Barrington is named for Barrington, Somerset in England.

As of the census² of 2000, there were 16,819 people, 6,011 households, and 4,712 families residing in the town. The population density was 771.2/km² (1,998.1/mi²). There were 6,199 housing units at an average density of 284.3/km² (736.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.37% White, 0.68% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.

There were 6,011 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $74,591, and the median income for a family was $84,657. Males had a median income of $59,722 versus $36,195 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $35,881. About 3.0% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Visitors and local residents also take advantage of the bike path that cuts through the town, connecting Providence with Bristol.

The public schools offered to its residents include:

Elementary: Sowams Elementary School, Primrose Hill Elementary School, Nayatt Elementary School, Hampden Meadows School

Junior High: Barrington Middle School

High School: Barrington High School

Other schools in the town include Barrington Christian Academy, St. Lukes, St. Andrew's school, and the Zion Bible College.

Notable natives and residents

• Thomas W. Bicknell - An educator and historian born there.
• Brad Faxon - A professional American golfer
• Spalding Gray - An actor, screenwriter and playwright born there.
• Michael S. Harper - Poet
• Shanna Moakler - American model, actor and reality television star
• David Angell - American television sitcom producer
• Brian Howe - American actor (acted in Pursuit of Happyness as Jay Twistle, amongst many other roles)
• Scott Haltzman- A physician and author (wrote Secrets of Happily Married Men)
• Henry Giroux- World renowned academic and cultural critic

External links

• Town of Barrington Official Web Site
• Barrington School Department
• The Brendel murders.

Coordinates: 41.745201° N 71.318193° W

	State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Providence (capital)
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Regions	Counties: Bristol | Kent | Newport | Providence | Washington (South County) | Geographic: Blackstone Valley | Block Island
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Towns	Barrington | Bristol | Burrillville | Charlestown | Coventry | Cumberland | East Greenwich | Exeter | Foster | Glocester | Hopkinton | Jamestown | Johnston | Lincoln | Little Compton | Middletown | Narragansett | New Shoreham (Block Island) | North Kingstown | North Providence | North Smithfield | Portsmouth | Richmond | Scituate | Smithfield | South Kingstown | Tiverton | Warren | Westerly | West Greenwich | West Warwick

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