Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
53% more nonprofits per person than the typical Texas town.
Newton’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a D− for health. Newton’s average trip to work is 41 minutes, above both the Texas town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 17 of Texas’ 998 towns score lower on health. The median household income is $56K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. On civic life, just 30 of Texas’ 791 towns do better. Newton has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Newton County Courthouse and Seward Plantation. Newton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Newton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Newton County Courthouse| Widest gap | Newton | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 13.2% | 5.7% |
2,478 counted in 2010 and 1,633 in 2020; an estimated 1,595 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Newton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 68 in 1880, a peak of 2,478 in 2010, 1,633 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and a map from 1984 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Newton, against 14% in Texas’ towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 39% of adults get no exercise outside work in Newton. Newton beats the Texas average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 21.
| Newton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Newton | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13% | 17% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.5% | 74.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 13.2% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Newton ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 359 | C |
| Newton H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 283 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
The typical Newton home is worth about $140,000, up 6.2% in a year, 53% below the Texas typical home. Newton’s median rent is $1,032 a month.
| Newton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,032 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Newton for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, Newton has lost 203 jobs, to 285 in 2023. The top destinations are Jasper (13%), Beaumont (10%) and Houston (5%).
| Newton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The property crime rate in Newton is 16.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Newton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Newton has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Newton since 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Caney Creek Park, at 30 acres.
| Newton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Caney Creek Park | — | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Newton; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Newton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Where Newton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Newton on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Newton.
City in Texas, United States
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Newton County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,633 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
53% more nonprofits per person than the typical Texas town.
That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($42,618 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
3 notable people were born here, including Todd Gilbert and Bryan Smith.
