Westerly is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Rhode Island. With a population of 23,288 people and five associated neighborhoods, Westerly is the 15th largest community in Rhode Island.

Housing costs in Westerly are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Rhode Island.

Of important note, Westerly is also a town of artists. Westerly has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Westerly’s character.

Also of interest is that Westerly has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 11.52% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

One of the nice things about Westerly is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

The education level of Westerly ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in Westerly, 45.85% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.

The per capita income in Westerly in 2022 was $59,151, which is wealthy relative to Rhode Island and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $236,604 for a family of four.

The people who call Westerly home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Westerly residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Westerly include Italian, Irish, English, German, and French.

The most common language spoken in Westerly is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and Italian.