Portsmouth, New Hampshire Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Portsmouth, NH Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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A
Income Above average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Portsmouth | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,466 | 1,394,471 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1275.9 | 149.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.60% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 41.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,423 | 555,445 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Portsmouth grew by 9.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,466 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Portsmouth is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.7% of residents. That is 3.2 points above New Hampshire as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,199 19.6% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,098 23.7% +3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,440 20.7% -2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,160 19.4% +0.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Hampshire, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.4% of the people living in Portsmouth and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% New Hampshire 50.3%
- Men 48.6% New Hampshire 49.7%
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100% of everyone living in Portsmouth
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Economy
Portsmouth has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Portsmouth | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,778 | $99,079 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.32% | 4.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Portsmouth is about 8% higher than in New Hampshire.
Housing
| Metric | Portsmouth | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $27,500 | $300,691 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,876 | $1,490 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 51.7% | 72.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Portsmouth is about 1.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,876 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Portsmouth spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Portsmouth | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 22.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.6 | 45.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 148 | 188 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,596 | $5,813 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.4% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,873 | 8,168 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,365 | 1,232 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Portsmouth is 18 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in New Hampshire.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Portsmouth has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Portsmouth | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60.1% | 36.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.03 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Portsmouth has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Portsmouth | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.3 | 80.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.5% | 12.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.7% | 16.0% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
How many people live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?
About 21,466 people live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 10,423 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Portsmouth, New Hampshire?
Averaged over its land area, Portsmouth, New Hampshire has 1,276 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 15 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($27,500 against $106,778), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,876 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?
Unemployment in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is only 2.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?
60.1% of adults in Portsmouth, New Hampshire hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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