Newport is a medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Rhode Island. With a population of 24,684 people and eight associated neighborhoods, Newport is the 14th largest community in Rhode Island. Newport has a large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.

Newport home prices are not only among the most expensive in Rhode Island, but Newport real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

The armed forces are a huge part of the life in Newport, employing 7.78% of the workforce. While it is a military town, the civilian sector still plays an important role in the local economy, where the Accommodation and Education industries employ 16.56% and 12.87% of the civilian workforce, respectively.

Of important note, Newport is also a city of artists. Newport has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Newport’s character.

Also of interest is that Newport has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 15.68% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Newport is also a college town, where lots of students live while attending area colleges. Because of the high percentage of people living in Newport enrolled in college, Newport has a number of services, amenities and opportunities geared towards the needs and activities of students.

Newport, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.

Newport is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Newport. 51.80% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Newport in 2022 was $55,691, which is wealthy relative to Rhode Island and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $222,764 for a family of four. However, Newport contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Newport is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Newport home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Newport residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Newport include Irish, English, Italian, German, and Portuguese.

The most common language spoken in Newport is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Portuguese.