The city of Newport is located in a very accessible area in the state of Rhode Island, with Interstate 91 connecting it with St. Paul and Minneapolis. The city is relatively diverse, with a wide array of ethnic groups and income levels. The per capita income of Newport is $44,429, which makes it an upper middle-class city compared to the rest of the US. For a family of four, this means $177,716 annually. The city's population has both rich and poor residents, but is a good mix of both.
The City of Newport has a variety of housing types available, with a combination of affordable and market-rate apartments. This affordable housing includes 103 two-bedroom apartments, 54 three-bedroom apartments, and 22 four-bedroom apartments. Many of the units also have washer and dryer hookups, while the townhouses are all four-bedroom. Apartments here are pet-friendly, with one dog per household allowed, as long as the dog stays on a leash. In addition, tenants can smoke in their apartments, and the Florence Gray Multipurpose Center shares space with several neighborhood organizations.
In 1870, the city's population was approximately 4,589. Its business directory from 1870 is a good resource, since it lists merchants by name. Alonzo Fogg and John Hayward wrote descriptions of Newport in 1874, and they are both good resources for information about the city's past. The Bicentennial Booklet provides an overview of the city's history.