Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Newport's standout: it is among the most walkable places in the country. Overall it grades C, 34th of 38 graded towns in Rhode Island. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 88% of the country and natural-hazard risk is low. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $966K for a typical one and 11.1 times the Providence metro’s $87K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 67 places on the National Register. 32% of working residents work locally in Newport, above both Rhode Island’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Old Colony House and Redwood Library. Only 1 of the 38 Rhode Island towns we compare have a higher January low than Newport.
Where Newport beats most towns.
Brick Market is one of 23 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 67 National Register listings are more than in 97% of Rhode Island towns with a listing.
Census counts: 6,716 in 1790, a peak of 47,049 in 1960, 25,163 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1747 and 8 maps from 1889 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Rhode Island), 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.
Big drawin town MuseumThe Breakers
in town MuseumMarble House
in town MuseumThe Elms
8 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
in town MuseumRosecliff
18 mi MuseumUSS MassachusettsThe Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Rosecliff: n ole, CC BY 2.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain
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 Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Newport.
Newport has milder winter nights than almost anywhere else in Rhode Island and is safe by national standards but not by Rhode Island’s; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Rhode Island.
At 11.1 years of the Providence metro’s $87K median household income, the typical home (about $966K) costs more against local pay than in 95% of Rhode Island towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
50% of Newport households own their home. Typical home values rose 9% in the year to September 2026. Newport’s median rent is $1,698 a month.
| Newport | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,698 a month | $1,366 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Newport school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Rogers High School, with 599 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claiborne Pell ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 657 | C |
| Rogers High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 599 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within RI on state tests and graduation
16 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. The trail density in Newport is 1.4 miles per square mile. Fort Adams State Park, at 147 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Newport | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.4 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.3% | 14% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Miantonomi Memorial Park | 1.6 mi | 42 |
| 2. Fort Adams State Park | 1.2 mi | 147 |
| 3. King Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
232 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 25 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 232 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newport.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Newport. Of the 38 Rhode Island towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who binge drink than Newport. 28% of adults have obesity in Newport.
| Newport | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Newport | RI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.4% | 14.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.1% | 13.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 23.9°, the #2 highest of 67 Rhode Island places with climate records; July afternoons average 80.6°. The Newport Rose weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 216 days, the highest of 67 Rhode Island places with climate records. The Newport Rose weather station records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Newport has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Among 38 Rhode Island towns, just 3 have a lower July high than Newport. About 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 8,970 working residents takes 18.9 minutes, against 25.5 across Rhode Island.
About one in 3 of Newport’s working residents works in town. No town among the 38 in Rhode Island we compare has a lower average trip to work than Newport. The top destinations are Middletown (13%), Providence (7%) and Warwick (4%).
| Newport | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 6.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 19% | 13% | 11% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $105,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 22.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 89% of Rhode Island’s graded towns.
Only 2 of the 35 Rhode Island towns we compare have a higher property crime rate than Newport.
| Newport | Rhode Island towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.1 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
4 within 15 miles of the center of Newport
About 13 of every 100 Newport residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Rhode Island.
67 places in Newport on the National Register of Historic Places.
49 notable people were born in Newport.
City in Rhode Island, United States
Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately 33 miles (53 km) southeast of Providence, 20 miles (32 km) south of Fall River, Massachusetts, 74 miles (119 km) south of Boston, and 180 miles (290 km) northeast of New York City. It is known as a New England summer resort and is famous for its historic mansions and its rich sailing history. As of the 2020 census, Newport had a population of 25,163. Newport hosted the first U.S. Open tournaments in both tennis and golf, as well as every challenge for the America's Cup between 1930 and 1983. It is also the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport, w…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Newport.
| Town | RI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | #34 | C | D− | C+ | C− | A |
| Jamestown | #2 | A+ | D | A | A+ | A+ |
| Newport East | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Middletown | #24 | B+ | D− | B+ | B | A |
Newport East 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 C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #34 of 38 in Rhode Island. It grades A for health, C+ for safety and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Rhode Island has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Newport sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
49 notable people were born here, including Mena Suvari and Matthew C. Perry.
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