Newport Named RI's Best Place To Live

The best city to live in Rhode Island is apparently Newport. That’s according to a new report from the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St., which determined the best city to live in every state.

The report's authors acknowledge that many things factor into what makes a place “home,” but some attributes are commonly shared and “universally desirable.” These include essentials like safe streets, a strong local economy, affordability and diverse entertainment options.

Here’s a breakdown of Newport:

• Population: 24,570
• 5 year population change: -0.1 percent
• Median home value: $382,200
• Median household income: $59,794

Here’s what the authors had to say:

“Newport, Rhode Island, is by far the best-educated city in the state. More than half — 50.9% — of adult residents completed at least their bachelor’s degree. No other major Rhode Island community exceeded the state’s college graduation rate of 32.5%. This high educational attainment qualifies many of the city’s residents for highly skilled jobs and likely helps drive down the unemployment rate [now 3.8%].

Though Newport’s median household income is close to that of Rhode Island as a whole, homes in the area tend to be much more valuable than those in the rest of the state. Newport’s median home value is $382,200, well above Rhode Island’s $238,200 median home value.”

Most of the best cities to live in were relatively affluent. That includes Paradise Valley, dubbed the best place to live in Arizona, where the median home value is north of $1.3 million — more than seven times the national median. The median household in the town earns an income of $173,487.

But several cities and towns were much more modest. Batesville, Arkansas, was highlighted specifically because it’s so affordable and has various attractions and amenities. The median household in the city earns $42,143 a year, while the median home is worth $120,400.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo Caption: Students of U.S. Naval War College's (NWC) 2017 graduating class participate in a commencement ceremony at NWC in Newport, Rhode Island. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jess Lewis/Released)