Nearby city: Providence
Population: 8,530
Median family income: $80,330
Runner-up: Bristol

Part of the Town of South Kingston, Wakefield-Peacedale encompasses two villages in southern Rhode Island just 45 minutes from Providence. Surrounded by lakes and ponds, connected by the South County Bike Path, and only minutes to numerous sandy beaches, Wakefield and Peace Dale retain that classic northeast, small-town feel.