Newton Highlands City is a small suburb of Boston. Its population is predominantly white, although about 14% of the population is black. Other races that make up a significant portion of the population include American Indians and Alaska Natives, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Hispanics of any race made up a smaller but still significant percentage of the city's population. Hispanics are generally people of Latino or Spanish descent.
The downtown of Newton Highlands has recently seen renewed interest, with the construction of the Convention Center on the DCU Center arena in 1997. The city's Union Station underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2000. The old Franklin Square Theater was redeveloped and now houses the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts. The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has built a campus here. In 2007, WPI opened its first facility in the Lincoln Square area.
With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the city's economy quickly turned to manufacturing. In 1831, the Washburn & Moen Company opened its doors and grew to be one of the largest wire manufacturers in the country. The city's growing manufacturing base soon saw large manufacturers, including the Royal Newton Highlands Corset Company, which was the largest employer of women in the U.S. in 1880.
The retail shops of Newton Centre have a cult following for residents who commute to Boston and beyond. Though the center has its charm, there are many businesses in the area that are not highly frequented by residents outside of the city. However, the Newton Centre Merchants Association is actively working to change the character of the city. They do not support efforts to reduce the automobile's use, although they do believe in using public transportation more often.