City Profile

Portsmouth, Virginia

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Portsmouth is a historic independent city located in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, known for its rich maritime heritage and scenic waterfront views. Founded in 1752, it features one of the nation's largest collections of historic homes spanning the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, the city blends its naval legacy with a developing urban core, offering residents a mix of coastal charm and military proximity.

About Virginia

Virginia, a Mid-Atlantic state, offers a diverse character ranging from its historic eastern regions to the Appalachian Mountains in the west. Its economy is well-balanced and diverse, with major industries including professional, scientific, and technical services, healthcare, retail trade, and a significant defense and government contracting sector, particularly in Northern Virginia. While the cost of living can be high in areas like Northern Virginia, it is generally considered moderate statewide, with more affordable options in other regions. The state experiences all four distinct seasons, with warm summers and generally mild winters, and offers a lifestyle that blends urban amenities with abundant outdoor activities and rich historical sites.

94,392

Population

$60K

Avg Salary

Cost Index

54.0

Quality Score

How this 54/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 52 / 100	52.0	30%	15.6
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 94.0	51.3	25%	12.8
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $63,500 Income needed to live here: $52,000 Unemployment rate: 4.3%	61.9	20%	12.4
Growth	Population growth rate: 0.4% Job growth rate: 1.8%	45.5	15%	6.8
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 64 / 100	64.0	10%	6.4
Overall score				54.0

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 3 (deep think) (q=54, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 16 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

Featured Events

Happening in Portsmouth

Featured and sponsored events in Portsmouth.

All events

Hosting an event in Portsmouth? Featured events appear right here for everyone exploring Portsmouth. Post yours free, or get it featured.

Post an event Feature my event

Local Directory

Businesses in Portsmouth

Featured local businesses in Portsmouth.

List your business

Put your business in front of people moving to Portsmouth Featured businesses appear here for everyone researching Portsmouth. Add a featured spot to your banner package, or start with a free listing.

Feature my business List free

Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Portsmouth generally tracks slightly below the national average, making it an attractive and budget-friendly option within the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Housing and utility costs tend to offer good value compared to neighboring cities like Virginia Beach or Norfolk. While certain goods and services align with broader regional pricing, overall expenses remain manageable for working families and military personnel.

Average Rent

$1,500/mo

Groceries

$420/mo

Transport

$130/mo

Utilities

$175/mo

Healthcare

$230/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$45.00

Cinema ticket

$13.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$20.00

Monthly groceries

$420.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$140.00

Income

Salary Insights

Portsmouth's economy is deeply anchored by defense, maritime services, and healthcare, with the historic Norfolk Naval Shipyard serving as a major regional employer. Additional employment pillars include public administration, manufacturing, and logistics tied to the Port of Virginia. While traditional industrial sectors dominate, the city has seen incremental growth in professional services and small business entrepreneurship.

The average salary in Portsmouth is $60,000 per year. You would need approximately $52,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Public Administration +1.10% Healthcare and Social Assistance +2.40% Retail and Hospitality +1.50% Manufacturing and Logistics +1.80% Defense and Maritime +2.00%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

61°F

Avg Temp

☀️

86°F

Summer High

❄️

33°F

Winter Low

🌧️

49.00"

Annual Rain

💧

68.00%

Humidity

🌤️

240

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Portsmouth primarily relies on personal vehicles, as the city features a car-dependent layout with moderate traffic congestion across its bridges and tunnels. Public transportation is served by Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) bus routes, connecting riders to neighboring Norfolk and regional hubs. Walkability is high in historic districts like Olde Towne, though suburban areas require a car for daily errands.

26 min

Avg Commute

38.00/10

Transit Score

44.00/10

Walkability

High

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Median home prices in Portsmouth remain significantly more affordable than the national average and neighboring Virginia Beach per Zillow data (2025).

Rich historic character highlighted by Olde Towne, one of the largest collections of 18th- and 19th-century homes in the region.

Proximity to major military installations like the Norfolk Naval Shipyard provides strong baseline employment stability.

Access to extensive waterfront parks and scenic views along the Elizabeth River.

Growing culinary and craft beverage scene concentrated in the historic downtown core.

Drawbacks

Certain neighborhoods experience higher-than-average crime rates, requiring careful location scouting for new residents.

Public transit options are limited outside of basic bus routes, making car ownership nearly essential.

Bridge and tunnel tolls across the Hampton Roads harbor can add up for daily commuters.

Public school performance metrics lag behind some of the top-tier school districts in surrounding counties.

Vulnerability to coastal flooding and severe weather events during hurricane season.

Head to Head

Compare Portsmouth

Portsmouth VS Grants Pass Portsmouth VS Binghamton Portsmouth VS Cincinnati Portsmouth VS Akron

Explore

Nearby Cities

Newport News

Suffolk

Petersburg

Arlington

Community Q&A

Questions about Portsmouth

What people ask about living in and moving to Portsmouth, Virginia.

Ask a question

Gathering the most common questions about Portsmouth…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.