Photo: Jma661 · CC BY-SA 3.0Newport spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Newport’s city government spent $9.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,241 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1 million) and the airport ($307,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Newport is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,169 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Newport’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,169 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 32 Arkansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $688, and the middle half spent $510–$839. Newport spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.1 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Arkansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Newport itself left out).
About $1,241 per resident a year, or $3.40 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 13% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Newport reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,169 · 2023: $1,241. Per resident it went from $1,169 to $1,241 (up 6%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 7,389 to 7,852.
full-time in March 2025, up from 74 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $735 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.45% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Newport’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Newport’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Newport →
Who’s in charge in Newport
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Newport’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on newportar.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 82 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (7,852).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Newport School District
Newport’s K–12 school district, shared with Amagon, Beedeville, Jacksonport, Tupelo, Weldon and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,683 per pupil, $8,491 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Newport’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Newport alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jackson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican73.5%3,509 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat24.8%1,183 votesOthers: 1.7% (83 votes).
Most votes in Jackson County: Donald J Trump
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Newport lies in Jackson County. Every 2024 race in Jackson County is on the county’s page.
Jackson County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Newport.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: newportar.org ↗
- 2Arkansas HouseState representatives
- 3Arkansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Newport compares with the towns next door
Newport spent $1,169 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Diaz | estimate | $509 |
| Newport | $1,169 | $735 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Newport’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Newport’s government
How much does Newport spend per resident?
About $1,241 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,169 was more than 97% of 32 Arkansas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Newport?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $735 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see newportar.org.
Who runs Newport’s government?
See newportar.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Newport yet.
How did Newport vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Newport alone. Jackson County, where 100% of Newport lies, voted Trump 73.5%, Harris 24.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Newport?
96 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $351,351 (about $4.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Newport in the state legislature?
State Senate District 10 (Ron Caldwell) and State House District 39 (Wayne Long). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Newport’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →