Portsmouth Authority

Portsmouth is a middle-income small city of 97,190 with home prices 1.6× below the Virginia median.

Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is one of Virginia's mid-sized cities, with 97,190 residents in Portsmouth city, Virginia. Households here earn a median of $60,491.

Definition and scope

Portsmouth sits within Portsmouth city, Virginia, one of Virginia's administrative subdivisions. Local services and ordinances are coordinated through county and state-level agencies. The city operates within Congressional District 3 and is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan area.

Who lives here

Portsmouth has approximately 97,190 residents. The median age is 35.9 years. Roughly 58% of housing units are owner-occupied. The median home value is $246,900.

Demographic composition (Census 2023 ACS5):

• White (non-Hispanic): 35.4%
• Black or African American: 50.2%
• Hispanic or Latino: 5.4%
• Asian: 1.6%

Economy and earnings

Median household income in Portsmouth is $60,491. Poverty rate stands at 17.3%. Unemployment rate at last release was 3.8%. Educational attainment: 24.3% of residents 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public services and infrastructure

Available public services on file for Portsmouth:

• Public schools: 24
• Public libraries: 4
• Fire stations: 3
• Police stations: 3
• Hospitals: 2

Getting around

The nearest commercial airport serving Portsmouth is Hampton Roads Executive Airport. Federal court business routes through Portsmouth Judicial Center. For passenger rail, the nearest Amtrak station is Norfolk, Virginia.

Geography and climate

Elevation here is 9 feet. The USDA plant hardiness zone is 7a.

References

• Virginia State Authority — state-level reference for Virginia.
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates — population, income, demographic data.
• Authority Network America — federal- and network-level reference.