North Smithfield is located in the northwest portion of the original territory of Smithfield. The town was incorporated in March 1871, and was at first named Slater. Sixteen days later its original name was changed to North Smithfield.  North Smithfield was rural-agrarian in its beginnings. Most of the early settlers lived on farms and their lives were centered around the farm. With the advent of organized industry, North Smithfield like many other Rhode Island communities, had its early industrial growth centered around its water power. Villages developed around the mills, each growing and developing its own unique characteristics.   North Smithfield never had a central meeting place, although the Village of Slatersville was always important, and eventually became the seat of town government.  North Smithfield has changed much from its former agrarian beginnings. The land is still there but the lives of the North Smithfield occupants are radically different from the earlier residents. The farmer and millwright have been replaced with many diverse occupations which are carried on the outside of North Smithfield boundaries. The forest and farmland has been and is presently being redesigned into residential, industrial, commercial and recreational use. North Smithfield has assumed a suburban character but has not lost its early charm, which is so characteristic of North Smithfield.

Government in North Smithfield, Rhode Island

North Smithfield Established in 1730, Incorporated in 1871
North Smithfield Form of Government: Elected Town Administrator and a five-member Town Council.
North Smithfield Council Meetings: The third Monday of each month at 7:30 pm.
North Smithfield Fiscal Year Begins: July 1

North Smithfield Town Building
Main Street
Slatersville, Rhode Island 02876
FAX: 766-0016
Hours: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

North Smithfield General Demographic Characteristics

• North Smithfield Population: The population count for The Town of North Smithfield as of April 1, 2005, was 10,618. This represented a 1.15% increase (121 persons) from the 1990 population of 10,497.
• North Smithfield Rank: In 2005 North Smithfield ranks 28th in population among Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns.
• North Smithfield Median Age: In 2005 the median age of the population in North Smithfield was 42.
• North Smithfield Age Distribution: In 2005, 77.6% or 8,239 persons residing in North Smithfield were 18 years of age or older. 7,944 were 21 and over, 2,191 were 62 and over, and 1,912 were 65 and over.
• North Smithfield Population Density: The 2005 population density of North Smithfield is 442 persons per square mile of land area. North Smithfield contains 24.04 square miles of land area (62,256,543 Sq. meters) (15,384.05 acres) and 0.70 square miles of water area (1,811,689 square meters) (448 acres).
• North Smithfield Housing Units: The total number of housing units in the The Town of North Smithfield as of April 1, 2005, was 4,070. This represented an increase of 235 units from the 3,835 housing units in 1990.
  Of the 4,070 housing units 116 were vacant. 12 of the vacant units were for seasonal of recreational use.
• North Smithfield Households: In 2005, there are 3,954 households in North Smithfield with an average size of 2.61 persons. Of these, 2,956 were family households with an average family size of 3.05 persons.
• North Smithfield Race:
  > North Smithfield Total Population of One Race: 10,570
  >North Smithfield White Population: 10,440
  > North Smithfield Black of African American: 45
  > North Smithfield American Indian and Alaska Native: 22
  > North Smithfield Asian Population: 55
  > North Smithfield Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0
  > Some Other Race in North Smithfield : 8
  >North Smithfield Total Population of two or More Races: 48
  >North Smithfield Hispanic or Latino: In 2005, 50 persons of Hispanic origin resided in North Smithfield. This represented 0.5% of the population. A decrease of 6 or 10.7% from the 1980 Hispanic population of 56.
  
                                   North Smithfield, Rhode Island Official Web Site