Is Newport, RI a Good Place to Live?
Newport is a small city of 25,087 in Rhode Island, with a median household income of $81,330 and a 10.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Newport stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Newport is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Newport city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 100.9Newport's overall cost of living index is 100.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Newport costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Newport, RI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $622,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,527 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 47.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $81,330 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeNewport's violent crime rate is 176.3 per 100,000 residents — 54% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Newport is served primarily by Newport. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Newport, RI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Newport | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 51.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Newport sees average highs of 38.6°F in January and 77.4°F in July, with 47.5 inches of annual precipitation and 26.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Newport, RI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 38.6°F |
| Average High — July | 77.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 26.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Newport, RI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,087 | — |
| Median Age | 37.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 78.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 7.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 13.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 20.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Newport
Newport, RI is covered by 2 ZIP codes: