Newton, the county seat, is three square miles in area and has 7,700 residents. The communities are vastly different in look and lifestyle, but each mode of living coexists nicely in the larger context of Sussex County's overall character. They are both excellent examples of what makes the county special. Over the past seven years or so, new residential neighborhoods have sprung up in the outskirts. One of the newest is situated on a higher elevation of the town, affording views across a wide expanse of wooded hills and open fields.
Newton is one of many picturesque locations in Sussex.
Furgiuele notes that Newton is one of the few communities in the county where it is feasible to walk from your home to a well-established downtown center. You can walk to the stores, to church, to school. In addition to its residential neighborhoods and downtown center, Newton Memorial Hospital and Sussex County Community College also call the town home. Average class size is relatively small, with 11 students per teacher. Drive a short distance out of Newton and the open space unfolds mile after mile in an array of farms, forests, lakes and hills.