Newport is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Arkansas, United States located on the White River northeast of Little Rock. The population was 7,879 at the 2010 census. Newport is home to a campus of the Arkansas State University system, with particular focus on training in transportation careers. Newport is known as the town in which Sam Walton owned a Ben Franklin store prior to starting Wal-Mart. Newport has ten properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.92%, is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Newport has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 8,005 people, 2,261 households, and 1,234 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, the city's residents comprised 7,811 people in 2,690 households 1,702 families. The population density was . There were 3,118 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 56.57% White, 41.76% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.33%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 2,690 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90. 19.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 16.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.9 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

for a household in the city was $26,853, and the median per capita income was $13,867. About 23.6% of families and 28.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.6% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The

Grimes Unit The Grimes Unit is a medium- and maximum-security state prison for men located in Newport, Jackson County, Arkansas, owned and operated by the Arkansas Department of Corrections. The facility was opened in 1998 and has a capacity of 1,012 i ...

and the

McPherson Unit McPherson Unit is a prison for women of the Arkansas Department of Correction, located in Newport, Arkansas, off Arkansas Highway 384, east of central Newport. Established in 1998, the prison houses the state's death row for women.Haddigan, ...

, prisons of the Arkansas Department of Correction, are located in Newport, off

Arkansas Highway 384 Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, east of central Newport. The prison houses the state's death row for women.Haddigan, Michael.
They Kill Women, Don't They?
'' Arkansas Times''. April 9, 1999. Retrieved August 15, 2010. The United States Postal Service operates the Newport Post Office.Post Office Location – NEWPORT
." United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

Education

Elementary and secondary education

Newport is supported with public education from the Newport School District, including Newport High School.

Postsecondary education

The main campus of the two-year community college,

Arkansas State University-Newport Arkansas State University Newport is a public two-year college system located in northeast Arkansas, with its flagship campus in Newport, Arkansas. The ASU-Newport system is a subset of the Arkansas State University System. Campuses *Arkansas St ...

is located here.

Notable people

Commerce

Helen Walton Helen Robson Walton (December 3, 1919 – April 19, 2007) was an American philanthropist and prominent arts advocate, dedicated to her community in Bentonville, Arkansas where she instituted a committee for a national museum of arts. After 31 yea ...

, wife of Sam Walton * Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart *

S. Robson Walton Samuel Robson “Rob” Walton (born October 28, 1944) is an American billionaire heir to the fortune of Walmart, the world's largest retailer. He is the eldest son of Helen Walton and Sam Walton, and was chairman of Walmart from 1992 to 2015. ...

John T. Walton John Thomas Walton (October 8, 1946 – June 27, 2005) was an American war veteran and a son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He was also the chairman of True North Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. Walton cofounded the Children's Scholars ...

, Jim Walton and

Alice Walton Alice Louise Walton (born October 7, 1949) is an American heiress to the fortune of Walmart. In September 2016, she owned over in Walmart shares. As of October 2022, Walton has a net worth of $59 billion, making her the 19th-richest person, and ...

, children of the Wal-Mart founder

Entertainment and literature

* Sonny Burgess, rockabilly artist and a member of Rockabilly Hall of Fame * Elizabeth Gregg Patterson, short fiction writer *

Mary Steenburgen Mary Nell Steenburgen (; born February 8, 1953) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter. After studying at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse in the 1970s, she made her professional acting debut in 1978 Western comedy film ''Goin' ...

, Academy Award-winning actress

Politics, military, and education

* Mike Beebe, former

Governor of Arkansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

* Les Eaves, member of the

Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...

from White County; businessman in Newport *

Kaneaster Hodges, Jr. Kaneaster Hodges Jr. (August 20, 1938 – March 23, 2022) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Arkansas from 1977 to 1979. Hodges was appointed to the Senate to serve the remainder of Senator John Little McClel ...

, appointed to succeed John McClellan as United States Senator upon McClellan's death in 1977 *

Paul K. Holmes III Paul Kinloch Holmes III (born November 10, 1951) is a Senior status, senior United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Early life and education Holmes was ...

, federal judge *

Ed Madden Ed Madden is an American poet, activist, and Director of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina in the USA. He grew up in Newport, Arkansas, got his B.A. from nearby Harding University, and received his Ph.D. in literatur ...

, activist, poet, and professor at the University of South Carolina *

J. Fred Parish John Frederick Parish (1878-1937) was an attorney in the U.S. State of Arkansas who is most notable for having served in that state's senate from 1933 to 1937 after serving in local offices. Early life and career Parish was born to John Wesley ...

, Arkansas state senator from 1933 to 1937 * Admiral Charles Ray, Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard * Martha Shoffner, Treasurer of the State of Arkansas from 2007 to 2013 * Robert L. Stanton, born and raised in Newport; he became a dentist and in 1932 the first African American to be elected to the Indiana State House on the Democratic Party ticket, serving two terms *

Dwight Tosh Dwight Crandall Tosh (born November 12, 1948) is a retired trooper of the Arkansas State Police from Jonesboro, Arkansas, who is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 52 in Craighead Poinsett, Jackson, and ...

, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Jonesboro; former Newport resident and former state police officer * Jim Wood, Arkansas State Auditor from 2003 to 2011

Sports

Dowell Loggains Dowell Loggains (born October 1, 1980) is an American football coach. He currently serves as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He has been the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, Chicag ...

, NFL offensive coordinator,

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

Julius Pruitt Julius Pruitt (born December 30, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Ouachita Baptist University. Professional career Miami Dol ...

, played for NFL's Miami Dolphins *

Theo Young Theo Thomas Young (born April 25, 1965) is a former professional American football tight end and current National Football League (NFL) college football scout. Playing career Young played college football for the University of Arkansas Razorba ...

, played one season with

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

and is a college football coach

Folklore animals

White River Monster In Arkansas folklore, the White River Monster is a large creature reportedly first spotted off the banks of the White River near Newport in northeastern Arkansas. Although reported in the press as a "monster", it is reported to be deeply loved ...

References

Institute of Southern Jewish Life The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) is a non-profit Jewish organization serving a thirteen-state southern region. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, the ISJL provides programming throughout the South. Overview Mission: ...

) {{authority control Cities in Jackson County, Arkansas Cities in Arkansas County seats in Arkansas