Portsmouth, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Portsmouth, VA 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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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Portsmouth | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 97,157 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2081.3 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.13% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 40,280 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Portsmouth declined by 3.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 97,157 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Portsmouth is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.8% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 22,105 22.8% +1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,122 22.8% +0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 17,433 17.9% -2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,259 15.7% -0.8 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 Virginia, 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 51.5% of the people living in Portsmouth and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 48.5% Virginia 49.4%
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Economy
Portsmouth has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Portsmouth | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,549 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.17% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Portsmouth is about 35% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Portsmouth | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $246,079 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,299 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.9% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Portsmouth is about 15.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,299 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Portsmouth spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Portsmouth | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.5 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,618 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,178 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,483 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Portsmouth is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Portsmouth | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.6% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Health
Portsmouth has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Portsmouth | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.1 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.7% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Portsmouth, VA Compared With Nearby Cities
Portsmouth, VA is the smallest of the 4 cities compared here, 97,157 residents against a local median of 233,287. Portsmouth, VA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these cities turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median household income, 14% below the local median at $60,549 against $70,017. Portsmouth, VA has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth, VA | 97,157 | $60,549 #4/4 | $246,079 #3/4 | 21.7 min #3/4 |
| Norfolk, VA | 233,287 | $66,067 | $257,238 | 20.9 min |
| Chesapeake, VA | 252,549 | $95,849 | $388,636 | 23.6 min |
| Hampton, VA | 137,557 | $70,017 | $206,858 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Portsmouth, Virginia.
How big is Portsmouth, Virginia by population?
About 97,157 people live in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 40,280 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 36.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Portsmouth, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Portsmouth, Virginia has 2,081 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 24 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Portsmouth, Virginia?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($246,079 against $60,549), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,299 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Portsmouth, Virginia?
19.6% of adults in Portsmouth, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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