NewportNC
A town of 4,500, settled in 1866. Public schools that outperform most of North Carolina.
What should you know before moving to Newport?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C, 152nd among North Carolina's 286 graded towns. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $56K, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line. 61% of the land in Newport is conserved, above both North Carolina’s towns (3.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Croatan National Forest, at 2,841 acres with 2.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 76% of U.S. towns.
What makes Newport stand out
Where Newport beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
3 miles of trails in Newport
60.8% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
How Newport grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Newport is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Newport: who provides what
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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Newport.
Newport keeps more of its land conserved than most of North Carolina and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes).
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Newport
Its 3,058 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 99% of North Carolina towns.
2.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Croatan National Forest | 2.6 mi | 2,841 |
| 2. Fort Benjamin Park | — | 30 |
| 3. Newport Community Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Public schools in Newport beat 70% of North Carolina districts
Its public schools are run by the Carteret County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 621 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Hurricanes leads a very high hazard risk in Newport
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of North Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $1,354 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1996, 81 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newport.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most of Newport’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
The average commute for its 1,713 working residents takes 18.1 minutes, against 25.1 across North Carolina. Jobs based here grew from 741 in 2013 to 1,166.
Most working residents leave Newport for work: only 7% work in town. At 18 minutes, Newport’s average trip to work is below both the North Carolina town median (24 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Newport grew to 1,166 in 2023, 425 more than in 2013.
| Newport | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Newport reports more crime per resident than 68% of U.S. towns
The property crime rate in Newport is 15.4 per 1,000 residents. Within North Carolina, it does better than 69% of towns.
| Newport | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.4 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Property crime per 1,000 residents
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
In Newport, expect mild winters and hot summers
Newport has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 35° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
On CDC estimates, Newport is healthier than 64% of U.S. towns
Against the 7,833 U.S. towns with household incomes like Newport’s, it is healthier than 91%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Newport beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 16% of adults binge drink in Newport.
| Newport | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 25% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 24% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Newport | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Newport’s typical home value is about $339K
68.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.9% across North Carolina.
The typical Newport home is worth about $339,000, up 1.5% in a year, close to the North Carolina typical home. Newport’s median rent is $896 a month.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Queen Anne's Revenge and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Newport. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi Ancient siteQueen Anne's Revenge
12 mi State parkFort Macon State Park
25 mi MuseumTryon Palace
23 mi LighthouseCape Lookout Lighthouse
13 mi National SeashoreCape Lookout National Seashore513K visitors a year
13 mi MuseumNorth Carolina Maritime MuseumPhoto credits
Queen Anne's Revenge: Joseph Nicholls, Public domain · Fort Macon State Park: Kevinbercaw, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tryon Palace: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Cape Lookout Lighthouse: United States Coast Guard, Public domain · Cape Lookout National Seashore: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 3.0 · North Carolina Maritime Museum: Kd5463, CC BY-SA 3.0
Everything we know about Newport
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Newport
About 7 of every 100 Newport residents are enrolled in college, about the same as North Carolina.
93% of working residents leave Newport for work
Where Newport’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Newport
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Newport, NC a good place to live?
Newport grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #152 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades B for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Newport, NC safe?
Within North Carolina, it does better than 69% of towns.
Is Newport, NC expensive?
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($72,322 across the Morehead City, NC 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.