Newport, Arkansas
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Newport is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Arkansas, United States located on the White River, Template:Convert northeast of Little Rock. The population was 7,879 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>
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
[edit]According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 1.92%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>
Climate
[edit]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, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>Climate Summary for Newport, Arkansas</ref>
Demographics
[edit]
2020 census
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 5,142 | 64.23% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,220 | 27.73% |
| Native American | 22 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 57 | 0.71% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 288 | 3.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 275 | 3.44% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,005 people, 2,261 households, and 1,234 families residing in the city.
2000 census
[edit]As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, the city's residents comprised 7,811 people in 2,690 households 1,702 families. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,118 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 56.57% White, 41.76% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 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 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 for a household in the city was $26,853, and the median per capita income was $13,867.<ref>https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/newportcityarkansas,AR/PST045217 Template:Dead link</ref> 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
[edit]The Grimes Unit and the McPherson Unit, prisons of the Arkansas Department of Correction, are located in Newport, off Arkansas Highway 384, Template:Convert east of central Newport.<ref>"Grimes Unit/McPherson Unit." Arkansas Department of Correction. Retrieved November 22, 2010.</ref> The prison houses the state's death row for women.<ref name="Haddigan">Haddigan, Michael. "They Kill Women, Don't They?" Arkansas Times. April 9, 1999. Retrieved August 15, 2010.</ref>
The United States Postal Service operates the Newport Post Office.<ref>"Post Office Location – NEWPORT Template:Webarchive." United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 22, 2010.</ref>
Economy
[edit]- Medallion Foods, snack-food producer
Education
[edit]Elementary and secondary education
[edit]Newport is supported with public education from the Newport School District, including Newport High School.
Postsecondary education
[edit]The main campus of the two-year community college, Arkansas State University-Newport is located here.
Notable people
[edit]Commerce
[edit]- Helen Walton, wife of Sam Walton
- Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart
- S. Robson Walton, John T. Walton, Jim Walton and Alice Walton, children of the Wal-Mart founder
Entertainment and literature
[edit]- Sonny Burgess, rockabilly artist and a member of Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Elizabeth Gregg Patterson, short fiction writer
- Mary Steenburgen, Academy Award-winning actress
Politics, military, and education
[edit]- Mike Beebe, former Governor of Arkansas
- Les Eaves, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from White County; businessman in Newport
- Kaneaster Hodges Jr., appointed to succeed John McClellan as United States Senator upon McClellan's death in 1977
- Paul K. Holmes III, federal judge
- Ed Madden, activist, poet, and professor at the University of South Carolina
- J. Fred Parish, Arkansas state senator from 1933 to 1937
- Admiral Charles Ray, Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
- Harmon L. Remmel, Republican party boss in the early 20th century
- 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, 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
[edit]- Dowell Loggains, NFL offensive coordinator, New York Jets
- Julius Pruitt, played for NFL's Miami Dolphins
- Theo Young, played one season with NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and is a college football coach
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- City website
- W.A. Billingsly Jackson County Library
- The Newport Independent, the city's newspaper published since 1901
- Newport Economic Development Commission
- Newport Area Chamber of Commerce
- Arkansas State University-Newport
- History of Newport's Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
Template:Jackson County, Arkansas Template:Arkansas county seats