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 23,298 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.

A relatively large number of people in Westerly telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 8.32% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. 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.

Westerly is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

The population of Westerly is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 39.91% of adults in Westerly have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Westerly in 2022 was $50,919, which is upper middle income relative to Rhode Island, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $203,676 for a family of four. However, Westerly contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

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.