Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan - Existing Conditions | Page 16

Newport Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Demographics

Since the 1980’s, Newport has reported steady and consistent declines in population. According to the 2014 U.S.
Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, population in the City of Newport declined from 26,476 persons in
2000 to 24,957 persons in 2014, a seven percent decrease. Background data on a city’s population can help focus
planning efforts on catering to the population present within the city. Newport has already taken steps to manage
the population decline seen within the city, most notably in the disposition of public school properties. These have
been re-purposed for a variety of uses. The city will need to go further to assess all of the service, revenue and
quality of life implications of population decline. That detailed analysis will lead to the development and
implementation of a strategy, tied to other key Plan goals and policies.
Although population is declining, the city sees increases in population on a seasonal basis due to various industries as
can be seen in Table 1-1. Tourism, the Navy, and Salve Regina University are all sectors that generate fluctuations in
Newport’s nonresidential population. While the permanent resident population is generally decreasing, the city must
plan for influxes in seasonal population.
Table 1-1.

Entities Causing Seasonal Population Growth in Newport

Entity

Population

Naval War College (study body)

599

Salve Regina University (student enrollment)

2,121

U.S. Navy (civilian employees)

4,500

Tourism

3,500,000
Source: 2010-20104 American Community Survey

One of the most important demographic characteristics of a
population is its age-gender structure. Age-gender pyramids,
also known as population pyramids, graphically display total
population separated by age and gender. In Figure 1-1, to the
left, Newport’s female and male residents are represented in
red and blue, respectively. The left side of the figure is for the
year 2000, with the right being for 2010.

Figure 1-1.

Trend in Population Decrease

The age group figure is a visualization of the changes in the
city’s population and give implications on where Newport is
heading into the future. From 2000 to 2010, general
increases can be seen in the age cohorts 50 years and up.
Another sign of an aging population are the decreases in the
youngest three age cohorts. The large spike in the 20 to 24
and 25 to 29 age cohorts can be attributed to the two postsecondary schools in Newport, Salve Regina University and
Community College of Rhode Island. More information on
demographic changes in Newport can be seen on Figure 1-2.

Examining a community’s age distribution helps to
understand the composition of the population. Newport’s
age distribution shows a large percentage of population
between the ages of 20 – 24. This may be due to the
presence of the military and Salve Regina University.

Page 1-4

Draft Existing Conditions (March 2016)