Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Newton’s overall grade of C− puts it better than 18% of U.S. towns, 133rd of 150 in Kansas. Safety is its weak spot (D) — its crime rate is higher than 87% of U.S. towns, with 133 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Schools are weaker too: its public schools trail three quarters of Kansas towns on state tests and graduation. Its strongest subject is cost of living: a typical home costs about $173K, 2.5 years of the Wichita metro’s $71K median household income. Its National Register listings include Warkentin House and Santa Fe Depot. The town’s level of violent crime is 7.3 per 1,000 residents, against 2.5 in Kansas’ towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Centennial Park, at 46 acres. 31% of working residents work locally in the town, where Kansas’ towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 8%.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FBI crime data, 2025 · schools, state test and graduation results · National Register of Historic Places · OpenStreetMap · Census LEHD, 2023.
Where Newton beats most towns.
Census counts: 2,601 in 1880, 18,602 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Newton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Newton, 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 Newton.
Among 80 Kansas towns, just 3 have a higher level of violent crime than Newton. In Newton, the rate of thefts and burglaries is 14.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Newton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.1 per 1,000 residents | 10.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Below: Two of its 10 schools, each with why it was picked. The Newton school district runs its public schools. 4 public schools serve Newton, with 1,096 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe 5/6 CenterLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 440 | C |
| Newton Sr HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 932 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Walkers can cover 7.4 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. For Newton, the concentration of trails is 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Newton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Newton Medical Center | 0.5 mi | 14 |
| 2. Centennial Park | 0.2 mi | 46 |
| 3. Newton Atheletic Park | — | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Home values are up 4.8% over the year to September 2026. The rent at the middle of the market in Newton is $903 a month. In Newton, nearly a third of sales closed above the list price.
| Newton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $903 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Wichita (22%), Hesston (9%) and North Newton (4%). About one in three of the town’s working residents works in town. The mean commuting time for Newton comes to 21 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 16 miles away.
| Newton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 8.8% | 11% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No age group stands out against Kansas: all are within 4 points. Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Kansas. For residents in Newton, the share who are 65 or older is 19%.
| Newton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 30% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.9 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women. Median age: women 41.3, men 36.6.
| Newton | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.7% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.8% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.3% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.6% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.8% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.7% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
36% of Newton’s expected losses from natural hazards come from tornadoes, followed by inland flooding at 33%. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 60% of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 48 claims here since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Newton, 30% of adults get no exercise outside work. 13% of Newton adults have diabetes.
| Newton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Newton | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 7.3% | 6.4% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.6% | 3.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Newton
About 3 of every 100 Newton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
16 places in Newton on the National Register of Historic Places.
33 notable people were born in Newton.
City in Harvey County, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602. Newton is located 25 miles (40 km) north of Wichita at the intersection of Interstate 135, U.S. Route 50, and U.S. Route 81 highways. The city of North Newton is located on the north side of Newton and exists as a separate entity.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Newton.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | #133 | C− | B+ | D | C | B− |
| Newton Township | — | — | B+ | — | C | B− |
| Macon Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Darlington Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Newton | — | — | B+ | — | C | B |
| Sedgwick Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Newton Township and North Newton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Newton Township and North Newton report no FBI crime data of their own. Macon Township, Darlington Township and Sedgwick Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Newton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Newton grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #133 of 150 in Kansas. It grades B− for health, D for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
33 notable people were born here, including Ivan Riley and Guy Ballard.
