City safety & data profile

PortsmouthVA

Q: What is the population of Portsmouth, VA?

Portsmouth, VA has a population of 96,201 people, located in Portsmouth city, Virginia.

Q: What is the median household income in Portsmouth?

The median household income in Portsmouth, VA is $60,491 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 17.3%.

Q: What is the median home value in Portsmouth?

The median home value in Portsmouth, VA is $246,900. Median rent is $1,300/month.

Q: What are the top health concerns in Portsmouth?

The top health indicators in Portsmouth include Short Sleep Duration (43.4%), High Blood Pressure (40.8%), Obesity (40.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.

Q: How many hospitals are in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.

Q: What is the median age in Portsmouth?

The median age in Portsmouth, VA is 35.9 years. 24.3% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Q: What is the climate like in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth has an average annual temperature of 60.1°F and 53.6" of annual precipitation.

Q: What is the cost of living in Portsmouth?

The regional price parity for Portsmouth is 97.941, meaning prices are 2.1% below the national average.

Q: What is the flood claim history for Portsmouth?

Portsmouth city, Virginia has recorded 299 NFIP flood insurance claims since 2016, totaling $5.6M in payouts. This is county-level data: FEMA does not attribute individual claims to a specific city.

Portsmouth, VA is a 96K-resident city in Portsmouth city with a median household income of $60,491.

Portsmouth city, Virginia. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Portsmouth, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Portsmouth has a population larger than 92% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $246,900, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Compiled by Areazine

Data updated 2026-09-16

96K
Population (place): Top 8%
By size: $60,491
Median income (place): $246,900
Median home (place): 17.3%
Poverty rate (place)

My saved cities

The read on Portsmouth

Portsmouth posts a median household income higher than 23% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Portsmouth area.

Bottom 24%
by median income, US cities: 2
hospitals in & near Portsmouth

Composite score · Portsmouth, VA

36/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2024

A transparent index Areazine derives from Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published, not an official Census Bureau or FBI rating. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move to or avoid any place. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Violent crime B+

194 /100k

FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents. State-level rate (per-city UCR reporting is incomplete/voluntary): every city in the state shares this value; lower is stronger on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share F

24.3%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS 5-Year Estimates.

Household income F

$60,491

Median household income vs cities tracked on Areazine; ACS 5-Year Estimates.

Poverty rate F

17.3%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis. ACS 5-Year Estimates.

See the full national tables: Healthiest Cities in America (health outcomes only) · Community Wellbeing Cities (this page's blended composite).

Where Portsmouth income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$60,491 Bottom 23% higher than 23% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

Each bar is a $20,000-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

Virginia Beach

454,808
Norfolk

238,005
Chesapeake

235,429
Richmond

226,610
Arlington

207,627
Newport News

186,247
Alexandria

159,467
Hampton

137,148
Roanoke

100,011
Portsmouth

96,201

What this shows Virginia Beach tops this pool by population; the income lead belongs to Great Falls instead.

Great Falls

$250,001
McLean

$250,001
Wolf Trap

$250,001
Bull Run

$241,933
Broadlands

$241,042
Lowes Island

$220,833
Vienna

$216,953
Fort Hunt

$216,038
Dranesville

$214,688
Fairfax Station

$212,224

What this shows Great Falls leads this pool on median income; Virginia Beach is the population leader instead.

The quick read

Reading Portsmouth, VA beyond the headline numbers

Portsmouth sits inside Portsmouth city, Virginia, at roughly 36.84°N, -76.30°W. Population 96,201, $60,491 median household income. Median home value $246,900, median rent $1,300. Poverty rate 17.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

2 hospitals in/around Portsmouth, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER. Climate: 60.1°F annual average, 53.6" precipitation.

Among the CDC measures on this page, current asthma departs furthest from its peer median: 12.4% in Portsmouth, the highest-prevalence quarter of the 3,722 cities reporting that measure.

17.3% of Portsmouth, VA residents live below the poverty line, placing it in the hardest-hit quarter of reporting cities. Read every median on this page against that: half the households are above it, and a large minority are far below.

Unemployment in Portsmouth sits at 6%, above the midpoint of reporting cities.

Remote work covers 8.7% of Portsmouth workers, under the midpoint for reporting cities.

24.3% of Portsmouth adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the midpoint of reporting cities.

Median rent in Portsmouth, VA runs $1,300/month, below the midpoint for reporting cities.

A median home in Portsmouth runs about 4.1 times median household income, above the midpoint. Multiples in this range usually mean buyers are arriving from outside the local wage base.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Portsmouth from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Economic comparison bars use the unweighted average across tracked Census places with a reported value, not a household-weighted national median.

Looking Back a Decade 2013–2024

County-level trend (Portsmouth city): Portsmouth's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024

Population

97K+1%

Median Income

$60,491+31%

Median Home Value

$246,900+41%

Poverty Rate

17.3%-6%

Unemployment

6%-39%

The Economic Picture

What stands out most about Portsmouth's economic profile: poverty rate at 17.3%, 40% above the average across tracked places. Median household income also diverges: $60,491, 32% below average.

Economics indicators for Portsmouth, VA
Indicator	Value
Median Rent	$1,300/mo
Poverty Rate	17.3% +40% vs avg
Unemployment	6%
Bachelor's Degree+	24.3%
Work From Home	8.7%
Public Transit	1.6%

By the Numbers

White 36.2%

African American 50.6%

Asian 1.7%

Two or More Ethnicities 6.1%

Community Health 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration

43.4%

High Blood Pressure

40.8%

Obesity

40.3%

Physical Inactivity

29.9%

Frequent Mental Distress

19.3%

Current Smoking

16.5%

Diabetes

16.1%

Frequent Physical Distress

14.9%

Binge Drinking

13.5%

Current Asthma

12.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 58%

Annual Checkup 79.8%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance

10.7%

Coronary Heart Disease

6.8%

Stroke

4.5%

Nearby Healthcare 2 total

CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1-5): a composite score across dozens of reported measures, not a single outcome guarantee for any patient. It isn't adjusted for patient case mix and isn't directly comparable across hospital types, a critical-access facility and a large teaching hospital aren't rated on the same measure set.

Rating Distribution

★★★★★

★★★★

★★★

★★

★

Average Rating

3/5

Total Hospitals

With ER

BON SECOURS MARYVIEW MEDICAL CENTER

PORTSMOUTH · Acute Care Hospitals · ER

★★★☆☆

Climate

NOAA 1991-2020 Normals

Avg Temperature

60°F

Annual Rainfall

53.6"

Hot Months (>80°F)

Cold Months (<40°F)

49°

32°

Jan

3.7"

52°

34°

Feb

3.2"

58°

40°

Mar

4.1"

70°

49°

Apr

3.7"

77°

58°

May

4.1"

84°

66°

Jun

4.8"

88°

71°

Jul

5.7"

86°

70°

Aug

6.6"

80°

65°

Sep

6.2"

71°

53°

Oct

4.5"

60°

43°

Nov

3.5"

53°

36°

Dec

3.5"

Cost of Living

BEA 2024

97.9 Regional Price Parity

2.1% below national average

US avg

97.9

Metro area: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC (MSA)

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities via FRED. RPP of 100 = national average.

Flood Claims on Record

FEMA NFIP, county-level

299

Claims filed

$5.6M

Total paid out

Most common flood zone

299 flood insurance claims have been filed in Portsmouth city since 2016, with $5.6M paid out by the NFIP.

The largest single contributor was Hurricane Matthew, accounting for 187 claims.

Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims, via OpenFEMA. County-level data: individual claims are not attributed to a specific city or address by FEMA.

What alerts and safety updates affect Portsmouth?

No area-tagged alerts are on record for Portsmouth right now. New federal and counterpart-agency notices still land in the site feed as agencies publish them.

City alert dispatch desk

Sheet VA-PORTSMOUTH-VA · Portsmouth

Portsmouth: no area-tagged alerts on record. State hubs carry the live CAP stream.

FEED-QUIET No tagged alerts
LEAD-NONE Feed idle
DESK-IDLE Awaiting feed

Counts reflect published articles tagged to Portsmouth; untagged NOAA county warnings may still appear in the site feed. Browse Virginia state hubs · Methodology

Frequently Asked Questions 9

What is the population of Portsmouth, VA? ▼

Portsmouth, VA has a population of 96,201 people, located in Portsmouth city, Virginia.

What is the median household income in Portsmouth? ▼

The median household income in Portsmouth, VA is $60,491 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 17.3%.

What is the median home value in Portsmouth? ▼

The median home value in Portsmouth, VA is $246,900. Median rent is $1,300/month.

What are the top health concerns in Portsmouth? ▼

The top health indicators in Portsmouth include Short Sleep Duration (43.4%), High Blood Pressure (40.8%), Obesity (40.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.

How many hospitals are in Portsmouth? ▼

Portsmouth has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.

What is the median age in Portsmouth? ▼

The median age in Portsmouth, VA is 35.9 years. 24.3% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the climate like in Portsmouth? ▼

Portsmouth has an average annual temperature of 60.1°F and 53.6" of annual precipitation.

What is the cost of living in Portsmouth? ▼

The regional price parity for Portsmouth is 97.941, meaning prices are 2.1% below the national average.

What is the flood claim history for Portsmouth? ▼

Portsmouth city, Virginia has recorded 299 NFIP flood insurance claims since 2016, totaling $5.6M in payouts. This is county-level data: FEMA does not attribute individual claims to a specific city.

Similar poverty or income, nationwide 8

Two ACS-derived peer sets for Portsmouth, both outside Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the geographic nearby list below.

Similar poverty rate

Nearest place-level ACS poverty rates outside VA (17.3% here).

East Los Angeles, CA 17.3% Berkeley, CA 17.3% Santa Maria, CA 17.3% Longview, TX 17.3%

Similar median income

Nearest place-level ACS median household incomes outside VA ($60,491 here).

Fortuna Foothills, AZ $60,474 Clarksville, IN $60,467 Porterville, CA $60,461 Lawrence, MA $60,433

Compare Portsmouth with another city

Pick a second U.S. city to open a side-by-side profile on population, income, health, and hospitals, the same federal datasets as this page.

Quick picks:

In the Area 8

Norfolk, VA 238K Chesapeake, VA 235K Portsmouth Heights, VA 99K Newport News, VA 186K Hampton, VA 137K East Hampton, VA 148K Poquoson, VA 12K Suffolk, VA 88K

All cities in Virginia → Compare Portsmouth vs Norfolk → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Next steps for Portsmouth

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Portsmouth area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
Compare Portsmouth against Virginia peers on any ranking lens. Explore Virginia

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city. County-level trends are labeled when shown.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Portsmouth city) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census (place-level ACS), CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. County-level trends are labeled when shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-16.