Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Newport grades D overall, 134th of 138 graded towns in Kentucky, mostly because of schools and safety. Its schools rank behind 98% of the state's. It reports more crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns, including 37 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 98% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 19 places on the National Register. Newport’s property crime rate is 41.3 per 1,000 residents, above both the Kentucky town median (8.2) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). Its National Register listings include Bellevue and Mansion Hill Historic District. Only 1 of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Newport.
Where Newport beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Bellevue| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Newport Intermediate School | 3–6 | 374 |
| Newport Primary School | PK–2 | 369 |
| Trent Montessori Preschool | PK–K | 83 |
Census counts: 106 in 1800, a peak of 31,044 in 1950, 14,150 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1845 and 5 maps from 1914 on.
19 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Newport is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Newport. Close and well known come first.
2 mi Stadium & arenaPaycor Stadium
in town Stadium & arenaGreat American Ball Park
Big draw21 mi Theme parkKings Island3.5M visitors a year
4 mi Stadium & arenaNippert Stadium
3 mi Stadium & arenaTQL Stadium
Big draw33 mi Theme parkArk EncounterPaycor Stadium: JonRidinger, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Great American Ball Park: Eric Kilby profile at Flickr website, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kings Island: Eli Duke from Portland, OR, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Nippert Stadium: Ben Levin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · TQL Stadium: Cornfield948, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ark Encounter: OlinEJ, CC0
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 sends many workers across the state line and looks healthier within Kentucky than nationally, but it reports more crime than Covington and its other graded neighbors.
Its public schools are run by the Newport Independent school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Newport High School, with 521 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Intermediate SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 374 | D |
| Newport High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 521 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Each of the 5 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Covington (C) to Fort Thomas (A). Reported crimes rose from 475 to 603 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Newport is 2.7 per 1,000 residents. Newport reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Newport | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Veterans Memorial Park | 0.5 mi | 12 |
| 2. General James Taylor Park | — | 16 |
| 3. Riddleview Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Within Kentucky it is less healthy than 55% of the 141 graded towns: much of Kentucky scores lower on these measures.
Newport beats the Kentucky average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Newport.
| Newport | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Newport | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.2% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 7.2% | 8.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.9% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Only 47.7% of households own their home, against 68.3% across Kentucky.
Children under 18 are 12% of residents (23% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 30% of residents (22% statewide). 36% of Newport adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Newport | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.6 years | 37.6 years | 40.5 years |
47% women, 53% men
About 112 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.6 points). Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 61% are men (KY 51%).
| Newport | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 22.4% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.3% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.6% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.6% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.2% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.5% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Newport has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 24° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
34% of working residents cross a state line to work. 21.2% of workers work from home, against 10.2% across Kentucky.
Most working residents leave Newport for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Newport grew to 8,705 in 2023, 1,751 more than in 2013. Newport’s average trip to work is 20 minutes.
| Newport | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 21% | 10% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newport.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median property tax bill is $2,387, against $1,544 across Kentucky, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Newport home is worth about $242,000, down 0.8% in a year, close to the Kentucky typical home.
| Newport | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,087 a month | $930 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
16 within 15 miles of the center of Newport
About 5 of every 100 Newport residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kentucky.
19 places in Newport on the National Register of Historic Places.
26 notable people were born in Newport.
City in Kentucky, United States
Newport is a home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. It is at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers across from Cincinnati. The population was 14,150 at the 2020 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is an urban center of Northern Kentucky and is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Newport.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Covington (C+) is closest.
| Town | KY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | #134 | D | B | D | D− | C− |
| Fort Thomas | #3 | A+ | C+ | A | A+ | A |
| Southgate | #23 | A | B | B+ | A | B− |
| Bellevue | #54 | B− | B− | B | D− | B |
| Wilder | #22 | A | B+ | B+ | A | B |
| Woodlawn | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Covington | #72 | C+ | B | C | B+ | C− |
Woodlawn isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Newport with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Newport grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #134 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades C− for health, D for safety and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($81,120 across the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
26 notable people were born here, including Dave Cowens and Thomas Pollock Anshutz.
.jpg){kind=link}
