Historical U.S. Census Totals for Newport County, Rhode Island

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Newport County, Rhode Island, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.

Like most areas of New England, Newport County is (and has been at all times since well before the 20th century) entirely divided into incorporated municipalities. There is no unincorporated territory. For any census, adding up the totals for each municipality should yield the county total.

There are two types of municipalities in Rhode Island, towns and cities. The tables below differentiate between towns and cities.

For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.

Corporate changes since 1900

1963 - New Shoreham left Newport County and switched to Washington County

1900

County Total : 32,599

Newport (city) 22,441
Tiverton 2,977
Portsmouth 2,105
Middletown 1,457
New Shoreham 1,396
Little Compton 1,132
Jamestown 1,091

1910

County Total: 39,335

Newport (city) 27,149
Tiverton 4,032
Portsmouth 2,681
Middletown 1,708
New Shoreham 1,314
Little Compton 1,276
Jamestown 1,175

1920

County Total: 42,893

Newport (city) 30,255
Tiverton 3,894
Portsmouth 2,590
Middletown 2,094
Jamestown 1,633
Little Compton 1,389
New Shoreham 1,038

1930

County Total: 41,668

Newport (city) 27,612
Tiverton 4,578
Portsmouth 2,969
Middletown 2,499
Jamestown 1,599
Little Compton 1,382
New Shoreham 1,029

1940

County Total: 46,696

Newport (city) 30,532
Tiverton 5,018
Portsmouth 3,683
Middletown 3,379
Jamestown 1,744
Little Compton 1,492
New Shoreham 848

1950

County Total: 61,539

Newport (city) 37,564
Middletown 7,382
Portsmouth 6,578
Tiverton 5,659
Jamestown 2,068
Little Compton 1,556
New Shoreham 732

1960

County Total: 81,891

Newport (city) 47,049
Middletown 12,675
Tiverton 9,461
Portsmouth 8,251
Jamestown 2,267
Little Compton 1,702
New Shoreham 486

1970

County Total: 94,228

Newport (city) 34,562
Middletown 29,290
Tiverton 12,559
Portsmouth 12,521
Jamestown 2,911
Little Compton 2,385

1980

County Total: 81,383

Newport (city) 29,259
Middletown 17,216
Portsmouth 14,257
Tiverton 13,526
Jamestown 4,040
Little Compton 3,085

1990

County Total: 87,194

Newport (city) 28,227
Middletown 19,460
Portsmouth 16,857
Tiverton 14,312
Jamestown 4,999
Little Compton 3,339

2000

County Total: 85,433

Newport (city) 26,475
Middletown 17,334
Portsmouth 17,149
Tiverton 15,260
Jamestown 5,622
Little Compton 3,593

Notes

1900 Census

The Census Bureau appears to have made revisions to 1900 census totals subsequent to their initial release for two municipalities in Newport County, although no explicit statement to this effect has been found in any census report. The 1900 Census reports show the total for the city of Newport as 22,034; and for the town of Jamestown, 1,498. However, subsequent census materials invariably use the totals shown in the list above. This revision was apparently made to correct an assignment error between these municipalities; the collective population of the two is the same using either set of figures, so the county total was not affected.

1970 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1970 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 1970 total for Newport County was originally reported as 94,559; and for the town of Middletown, 29,621. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above.