Is Newport, SC a Good Place to Live?
Newport is a small town of 4,226 in South Carolina, with a median household income of $92,083 and a 0.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: Newport's profile is close to national averages across most measures.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. 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: 97.0Newport's overall cost of living index is 97.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Newport costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Newport, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $280,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,159 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 94.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $92,083 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageNewport's violent crime rate is 277.6 per 100,000 residents — 27% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Newport, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 35.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Newport sees average highs of 52.4°F in January and 90.4°F in July, with 42.4 inches of annual precipitation and 0.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Newport, SC |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 52.4°F |
| Average High — July | 90.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Newport, SC | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,226 | — |
| Median Age | 43.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 68.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 21.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 21.5% | 16.8% |