The Town Files

Newport, Maine

Town in Penobscot County · population 3,133 (2020 Census)

Map: where Newport is in MaineNewport
Median home
$234,800
Household income
$60,365
Jan low / Jul high
6° / 81°
Snow a year
72 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
50.3

Newport is a town of 3,133 people in Penobscot County, Maine. The median home is worth $234,800, close to the typical Maine town ($238,950). It ranks more vibrant than 87% of Maine towns, more walkable than 76% of Maine towns, quieter than 74% of Maine towns.

Newport in our rankings:

How Newport ranks

Percentile among Maine towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Maine towns.

Newport lifestyle rankings vs other Maine townsRetirement40th pctFamilies14th pctQuiet74th pctWalkability76th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals20th pctVibrancy87th pctHip & trendy38th pctCollege town4th pctUpscale43rd pctVacation homes45th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving48th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Newport is worth $234,800, close to the typical Maine town ($238,950). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $60,365, which is more affordable than 36% of Maine towns. Median rent is $893 a month. 72.3% of households own their home.

Newport vs Penobscot County vs typical Maine townNewportPenobscot CountyTypical Maine townHome value$234,800$214,100$238,950Household income$60,365$66,356$68,967Monthly rent$893$1,041$1,027
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Maine towns with 500+ people.
HousingNewportTypical Maine town
Median home value$234,800$238,950
Median rent$893$1,027
Median household income$60,365$68,967
Home value ÷ income3.9×3.4×
Homeownership72.3%82.4%
Median year built19761978
Seasonal / vacation homes6.7%—

Who lives in Newport

PeopleNewportTypical Maine town
Median age50.346.9
Age 65 and over24.8%22.9%
Under 1814.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.9%28.2%
Below the poverty line12.6%10.7%
Veterans10.7%—
Born outside the U.S.1.3%—
Work from home14.7%12.3%
Average commute24.6 min25.5 min
Homes with broadband78.3%90.0%

Weather in Newport

July highs average 80.5°F and January lows 6.0°F. About 44.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 71.5 inches of snow (typical Maine town: 77.2 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 175 nights at or below freezing.

Newport monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing28°6°Jan32°7°Feb41°18°Mar54°31°Apr67°43°May75°52°Jun81°58°Jul80°56°Aug72°48°Sep59°37°Oct46°27°Nov34°16°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.416.62.817.23.413.43.83.43.64.03.23.63.64.80.34.14.14.316.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Corinna station (3.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newport since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Maine town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 15, 2014 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 15, 2014.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Newport by decade11950s11960s11970s01980s11990s02000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on July 28, 2019.

Severe weather in Penobscot County since 1996

Storm events in Penobscot County since 1996 by typeHail87Heat65Flood74Drought27Blizzard24High Wind141Heavy Snow206Winter Storm222
NOAA Storm Events Database, Penobscot County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Penobscot County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 30, 2024Severe StormDR-4754: Severe Storm And Flooding
September 14, 2023HurricaneEM-3598: Hurricane Lee
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4522: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3444: Covid-19
January 2, 2018Severe StormDR-4354: Severe Storm And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Penobscot County

Penobscot County had 71,983 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,593 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Newport itself the ACS puts it at 4%.

Largest industries in Penobscot CountyHealth care & social assistan…15,681 jobs · $65,036Retail10,657 jobs · $38,540Hotels & restaurants6,263 jobs · $27,776Construction3,921 jobs · $70,658Manufacturing2,830 jobs · $60,968Administrative & support2,745 jobs · $39,076
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Penobscot County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Penobscot 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Newport

3 public schools with 1,468 students, about 12.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Nokomis Regional High School9-1261013.0
Nokomis Regional Middle School5-852711.7
Sebasticook Valley Elementary SchoolPK-433111.4

Towns near Newport

Newport questions

Is Newport, Maine a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Newport scores better for retirees than 40% of Maine towns and quieter than 74%. 24.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.3).

How much does a house cost in Newport?

The median owner-occupied home in Newport is valued at $234,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,365, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is $893 a month.

What is the weather like in Newport?

July highs average 80.5°F and January lows 6.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.7 inches of precipitation a year and 71.5 inches of snow.

Does Newport get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Newport since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 15, 2014. The typical Maine town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Newport's Census boundary (GEOID 2301949065). Comparisons use the median of Maine towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.