Believe it or not, Newport News got its name from good news. Legend has it that in 1610, a group of colonists who had given up on Jamestown and were sailing for home ran into Captain Christopher Newport near the mouth of the James River, and he told them supplies and reinforcements were on the way. “Newport’s News” was good enough to turn the ships around. Four centuries later, the city still runs on the water: this is the only place in America that builds nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, at a 550-acre shipyard that stretches two miles along the James, turned 130 years old in 2026, and employs 26,000 people — many of them third- and fourth-generation shipbuilders.
It also means the city is built for people who work, and rent, at a range of price points. Newport News is long and narrow, stretching from a dense industrial waterfront in the south to woods and one of the country’s biggest city parks in the north, so the neighborhood you pick changes your daily life more here than in most cities its size.
If you’re looking to rent an apartment in Newport News, there are plenty of neighborhoods to choose from. We’ve compiled a list of the best places to rent in Newport News based on the following factors:
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Rental availability
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Average rent relative to other neighborhoods in the city
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Proximity to points of interest like work hubs, universities, downtown areas, shopping centers, or major parks
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Niche.com’s neighborhood report cards
The five best neighborhoods in Newport News for renters are:
Palmer
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Newport News: $1,307/month
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Palmer: $1,630/month
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Average 1-bedroom size in Palmer: 744 square feet
Why Palmer is good for renters
Palmer is a very convenient neighborhood for renters because so much is packed into the Jefferson Avenue and Oyster Point Road corridors. Patrick Henry Mall is here — the largest mall on the Virginia Peninsula, with four anchor stores and more than 120 specialty shops — alongside Tech Center at Oyster Point, a 100-acre research park the city built with W.M. Jordan and Virginia Tech. Its open-air Marketplace dropped a Whole Foods, a Starbucks, a gym and a row of restaurants within walking distance of several newer apartment communities, which is a big part of why Palmer lists more available rentals than any other neighborhood in Newport News. City Center at Oyster Point and Port Warwick are minutes away for summer concerts, the fountain and the annual art and sculpture festival.
Moderately Walkable |
Limited Public Transit |
Exceptionally Drivable |
Fairly Bikeable |
60Palmer has a walkability score of 60 out of 100. |
20Palmer has a transit score of 20 out of 100. |
100Palmer has a drivability score of 100 out of 100. |
40Palmer has a bikeability score of 40 out of 100. |
Keep in mind
Palmer is the priciest neighborhood on this list, running about 25% above the citywide average for a one-bedroom. All that retail also comes at the expense of green space and quiet.
Warwick
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Newport News: $1,307/month
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Warwick: $1,208/month
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Average 1-bedroom size in Warwick: 636 square feet
Why Warwick is good for renters
Warwick is where the city keeps its cultural institutions. Christopher Newport University anchors the neighborhood, and its Ferguson Center for the Arts has brought touring Broadway productions and headliners like Andrea Bocelli to a 1,700-seat hall since 2005. Next door, The Mariners’ Museum and Park houses the USS Monitor Center and wraps Lake Maury in the Noland Trail, a five-mile gravel loop with 14 bridges, mile markers and benches every half mile; between that and Deer Park, the neighborhood scores a perfect 100 for nearby park space. Riverside Regional Medical Center sits in the neighborhood as well, which matters if you work in healthcare, and downtown is under six miles down Warwick Boulevard.
Fairly Walkable |
Limited Public Transit |
Exceptionally Drivable |
Fairly Bikeable |
40Warwick has a walkability score of 40 out of 100. |
30Warwick has a transit score of 30 out of 100. |
100Warwick has a drivability score of 100 out of 100. |
50Warwick has a bikeability score of 50 out of 100. |
Keep in mind
Warwick Boulevard carries nearly all of the neighborhood’s traffic and retail, and the area rates as noisy, so it is worth checking how far your desired apartment sits back from busy roads. Sidewalks are reliable along the boulevard but thin out on side streets like Gatewood and Harpersville roads.
Kiln Creek
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Newport News: $1,307/month
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Kiln Creek: $1,449/month
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Average 1-bedroom size in Kiln Creek: 789 square feet
Why Kiln Creek is good for renters
Kiln Creek is a community that broke ground in 1986, and it has since filled in with more than 2,000 homes. The community layout shines thanks to an 18-hole championship golf course, a clubhouse, pools, tennis courts, and several miles of paved trail inside the neighborhood itself. Errands happen along Jefferson Avenue and Victory Boulevard, where Patrick Henry Mall, Jefferson Commons, Trader Joe’s and the usual big-box lineup are all within a couple of miles. Commuters get options that are rare in this market. Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is in the neighborhood, and the Newport News Transportation Center on Bland Boulevard, opened in 2024, runs two daily Amtrak round trips to Richmond, Alexandria, Washington, D.C. and the Northeast, plus connecting buses to Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Fairly Walkable |
Exceptionally Drivable |
Fairly Bikeable |
40Kiln Creek has a walkability score of 40 out of 100. |
100Kiln Creek has a drivability score of 100 out of 100. |
50Kiln Creek has a bikeability score of 50 out of 100. |
Keep in mind
Kiln Creek runs above the citywide average for a one-bedroom, though it's the better deal per square foot than Warwick or Downtown. If you’re a renter looking for a vivid nightlife, you should know that Kiln Creek is on the quieter side.
Downtown Newport News
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Newport News: $1,307/month
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Downtown Newport News: $1,470/month
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Average 1-bedroom size in Downtown Newport News: 611 square feet
Why Downtown Newport News is good for renters
Downtown Newport News is the shipyard’s front door. It is also the one changing fastest. The city announced in spring 2026 that construction would begin on a $450 million development with two apartment towers, and 10,000 square feet of retail. The waterfront is the other draw: Victory Landing Park and Christopher Newport Park line the James near the Victory Arch, and the ongoing James River Strand project is adding a multi-use walkway and an outdoor amphitheater. Restaurants, a brewery, and a distillery have clustered on 23rd Street in recent years, I-664 runs straight to Hampton and Norfolk, and Hampton Roads Transit’s 101 and 103 routes serve the neighborhood for renters going without a car.
Fairly Walkable |
Limited Public Transit |
Exceptionally Drivable |
Fairly Bikeable |
40Downtown Newport News has a walkability score of 40 out of 100. |
30Downtown Newport News has a transit score of 30 out of 100. |
100Downtown Newport News has a drivability score of 100 out of 100. |
40Downtown Newport News has a bikeability score of 40 out of 100. |
Keep in mind
Downtown one-bedrooms are the smallest and the priciest per square foot of the five neighborhoods, and everyday amenities are still catching up to the housing. Rental inventory might be thin for its demand until the new towers deliver more units.
Lee Hall
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Newport News: $1,307/month
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Average 1-bedroom rent in Lee Hall: $1,399/month
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Average 1-bedroom size in Lee Hall: 675 square feet
Why Lee Hall is good for renters
Lee Hall sits at the northwestern end of the city, was its own village until 1958, and offers renters two things the rest of Newport News does not. The first is availability. The second is Newport News Park, which at 8,065 acres is one of the largest municipal parks in the country and sits at the neighborhood’s doorstep with 30 miles of trails, campsites, boat and bike rentals, disc golf, archery, two 18-hole public golf courses and preserved Civil War earthworks. The history is unusually close at hand: Lee Hall Mansion, an 1859 Italianate house and one of the last antebellum homes left on the Peninsula, served as a Confederate headquarters during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, and an observation balloon was launched from the earthen fort in its yard.
Somewhat Walkable |
Exceptionally Drivable |
Moderately Bikeable |
20Lee Hall has a walkability score of 20 out of 100. |
90Lee Hall has a drivability score of 90 out of 100. |
60Lee Hall has a bikeability score of 60 out of 100. |
Keep in mind
This is the most car-dependent neighborhood on the list, so plan on driving for groceries and most errands. Renters should also expect periodic aircraft noise from Fort Eustis and the nearby airport.
Ready to Make the Move?
If Newport News has caught your eye, take the next step with Apartments.com! Whether you’re dropping in for a short-term lease or hoping to set down roots, Apartments.com has the tools to help you find the perfect place. Navigate housing across neighborhoods with our customized search engine and use our customizable filters to narrow your search by price, amenities, and floor plan.
Wherever you are and wherever you’re going, the options are endless with Apartments.com.
Methodology
Rent and cost of living data are sourced from the Apartments.com Rent Trends pages and Cost of Living Calculator. Walkability, transit, drivability, and bikeability ratings are sourced from the Apartments.com Area Guides, courtesy of Local Logic.
FAQs
Is Newport News a good place to live?
Yes! Newport News is a strong fit for renters who want coastal Virginia at a below-average price. The city pairs a major employment base: the shipyard, Fort Eustis, Langley Air Force Base, Riverside Regional Medical Center, and Christopher Newport University are all here or next door. It also has a great amount of green space, including an 8,065-acre municipal park, the five-mile Noland Trail, and public beaches on the James River. Renters also get a genuine range of settings, from a walkable 1918 historic village to a golf course community. The main tradeoff is that public transit is limited citywide, so most residents drive.
Is Newport News an expensive place to live?
The cost of living in Newport News is 9.7% lower than the national average, making it more affordable than most cities its size. Housing does the heavy lifting: it runs 21.9% below the national average, and rents are about 22% lower. Groceries are essentially flat with the national average, and transportation is 5.4% cheaper, though utilities run about 3.5% higher.
What’s the average rent in Newport News?
The average rent in Newport News is $1,307/month, as of July 2026. This is about 21% lower than the national average rent of $1,663/month. Rents are up 3.5% year over year, and half of all Newport News apartments fall between $1,001 and $1,500.
What salary do you need to live in Newport News?
According to our cost of living data, a comfortable salary for a single adult with no dependents to cover housing, utilities, groceries, and goods and services in Newport News would be around $69,000 before taxes. That breaks down to roughly $22,500 a year for housing, $8,316 for groceries and $10,956 for goods and services.
