Newport Rhode Island Aerial View · Photo: MVASCO, CC BY-SA 3.0
A town of about 24,874 people in Newport County, part of the Providence area. Resident comments and photos are about Newport; job numbers cover the wider area.
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Newport scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Outdoorsy
92 / 100
Outdoorsy: more trails, campgrounds and paddling spots than most
Big-city feel
90 / 100
Big-city feel: 1.6 million people in the metro, 6 buildings 20+ stories, 2,177 bus and train stops
Less so: growing.
Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Of about 5,267 rented homes in Newport, 69% rent for under $2,000 a month and 94% for under $3,000.
Under $1,000: 28%
$1,000 to $1,499: 17%
$1,500 to $1,999: 25%
$2,000 to $2,499: 16%
$2,500 to $2,999: 9%
$3,000 or more: 6%
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Hiring movers
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
Moving in as a renter
The middle rented home in Newport rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Rhode Island: before and after
Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Rhode Island DMV.
6 public school districts in this county, with about 8,313 students in all. The county also has 7 private schools. Which public school serves a home depends on its address.
Public Public charter Private District that covers the center of Newport: Newport School District
District lines: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. Tap a dot for details. A home's assigned school depends on its address; check with the district before you buy or rent.
Closest public schools to the center of Newport
Elementary
Frank E. Thompson Middle1.1 mi
Public
grades 5 to 8 · 500 students · 8.1 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 14%, math 13% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Claiborne Pell Elementary2.3 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 4 · 716 students · 10.1 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 19%, math 17% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Aquidneck School2.4 mi
Public
grades Pre-K to 3 · 303 students · 13.8 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 40 to 44%, math 45 to 49% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Middle
Frank E. Thompson Middle1.1 mi
Public
grades 5 to 8 · 500 students · 8.1 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 14%, math 13% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Jamestown School-Lawn3.4 mi
Public
grades 5 to 8 · 195 students · 9.3 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 55 to 59%, math 55 to 59% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Gaudet Middle School3.6 mi
Public
grades 6 to 8 · 457 students · 12 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 37%, math 31% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
High school
Rogers High School0.6 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 605 students · 10.1 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 35 to 39%, math 15 to 19% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Middletown High School3.3 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 562 students · 11.5 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 60 to 64%, math 30 to 34% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Portsmouth High School10.1 mi
Public
grades 9 to 12 · 790 students · 11.4 per teacher
Passed the state test: reading 75 to 79%, math 55 to 59% (state: reading 33%, math 27%)
Private
St Michaels Country Day School1.1 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 8 · 161 students · 7.5 per teacher
All Saints Academy3.7 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 8 · 120 students · 8.6 per teacher
Sea Rose Montessori Co-Op5.7 mi
Private
grades Pre-K to 3 · 14 students · 1.7 per teacher
Straight-line miles from the center of Newport, nearest first. Being closest doesn't mean a school serves a given home. "Passed the state test" is the share of students who scored proficient or better on Rhode Island's own reading and math tests in the 2021-22 school year, the latest year the U.S. Department of Education has published for every school. Each state sets its own test and passing bar, so compare schools within the same state, not across states. Test results track family income closely and leave out a lot (teachers, programs, how a school fits your child). For newer results, see the state's school report card.
418 students · 10.2 students per teacher · 2 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
School choice and pre-K in Rhode Island
Going to school in another district
State law lets each district decide whether to take students from other districts. Some do, some don't; ask the district you'd like.
Picking a different school in your district
State law doesn't set a rule for switching schools within a district; it's up to each district.
Free state pre-K
26% of 4-year-olds in Rhode Island attend state-funded pre-K (U.S.: 37% and 9%). Spots, hours and who qualifies vary by district.
School choice: state law as summarized by the Education Commission of the States, 50-State Comparison: Open Enrollment Policies (2022). Pre-K: share of children in state-funded pre-K, National Institute for Early Education Research, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook (2024-25 school year).
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Private schools: NCES Private School Survey, 2021-22. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For programs and newer results, see each district's site and the state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Daycare and preschool
Rhode Island keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
Age
Daycare center
Home daycare
Infant (under 2)
$311/week
about $16,200 a year
$275/week
about $14,300 a year
Toddler (2)
$300/week
about $15,600 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)
$263/week
about $13,700 a year
$225/week
about $11,700 a year
School-age
$70/week
about $3,600 a year
For an infant at a center: $311/week here, $293 across RI, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 12% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Public, 4-year · 5,767 students · $10,986 in-state, $26,519 out-of-state
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.
The facts behind it
Typical home value
$522,248
What a typical home sells for across the Providence area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Cost of living
About 2% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $102 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 101.8 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 42 min at rush hour
To downtown Providence, RI, 33 miles. About 41 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
27 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $2,445 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in RI. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Very Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
1 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
Fewer than 10 a year
The CDC doesn't publish exact counts under 10. RI average: 16.8 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 21.3 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 2,373 people without housing in the Rhode Island Statewide area (5 counties): 1,755 in shelters and 618 outside, down from 2,442 in 2024. RI: 21.3 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Unemployment
4.7%
The share of people looking for work who can't find it, averaged over the year. U.S.: about 4%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
Median household income
$100,859
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.95% of home value a year
About $950 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5.99%
RI's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
