Nishinoomote has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with no snowfall.

Towards the end of World War II, the town was garrisoned by a 12,000-man force from the Imperial Japanese Army and was thus subjected to bombing by the United States Navy in 1945.

In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Kagoshima 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The economy of Nishinoomote is based largely on agriculture (sugar cane, sweet potatoes), livestock (cattle, pigs, etc.

Nishinoomote Port is a regional transportation hub, with frequent ferry service to Kagoshima, Tokyo, Kobe, and Osaka, as well as Okinawa and the other Osumi islands.