Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Newport earns a D−, 114th among Arkansas's 123 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 97% of the country. The median household income is $35K, and 30% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. 30% of residents live below the poverty line in Newport, where Arkansas’ towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Newport is home to Arkansas State University-Newport. Among 122 Arkansas towns, just 2 have a lower median rent than Newport.
Where Newport beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 683 in 1880, 8,005 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1935 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Newport is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Newport, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Newport.
Newport fares better on crime within Arkansas than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
Against the 1,205 U.S. towns with household incomes like Newport’s, it is less healthy than 75%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
40% of adults get no exercise outside work in Newport. Newport beats the Arkansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Newport.
| Newport | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 19% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 25% | 19% |
| What stands out | Newport | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.1% | 8.2% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 28.4% | 18.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Newport School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 691 | C |
| Asu Newport Sec Career Center (Ignite)Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AR on state tests and graduation
At 2.1 years of the county’s $44K median household income, the typical home (about $91K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Arkansas towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. Values fell 5.2% in the past year while the Arkansas typical home rose 3.4%.
The typical Newport home is worth about $91,000, 59% below the Arkansas typical home. 55% of Newport households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 43 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 68% of Arkansas’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 305 to 121 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Newport’s violent crime rate is 6.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Newport | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
5.2 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is George Kell Park, at 22 acres.
| Newport | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 0.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. George Kell Park | — | 22 |
| 2. Crossroads Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Lockwood Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 33 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newport.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Newport has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Newport is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,328 working residents takes 13.5 minutes, against 22.5 across Arkansas.
About one in 3 of Newport’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Newport has lost 398 jobs, to 2,841 in 2023. Among 123 Arkansas towns, just 4 have a lower average trip to work than Newport.
| Newport | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 21% | 8% |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Newport
About 3 of every 100 Newport residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
9 places in Newport on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Newport.
City in Arkansas, United States
Newport is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Arkansas, United States located on the White River, 84 miles (135 km) northeast of Little Rock. As of the 2020 census, Newport had a population of 8,005. Newport is home to a campus of the Arkansas State University system, with particular focus on training in transportation careers. Newport is known as the town in which Sam Walton owned a Ben Franklin store prior to starting Walmart. Newport has ten properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Newport.
Diaz has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Diaz reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Newport with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Newport grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #114 of 123 in Arkansas. It grades D− for health, D for safety and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 2.1 years of the area's median household income ($44,218 across the county).
16 notable people were born here, including Mary Steenburgen and Alice Walton.
