Portsmouth, VA

Census Place

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2024 Population
97,190
US Senator
Mark Warner
Democratic Party
US Senator
Tim Kaine
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
35.9
0.279% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
17.3%
1.41% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$60,491
2.58% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$246,900
7.63% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
42,140
1.49% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Portsmouth, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.5% of the residents in Portsmouth, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Portsmouth, VA was $246,900, and the homeownership rate was 57.9%.

Most people in Portsmouth, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Portsmouth, VA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesVirginiaPortsmouth city, VAVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NCIsle of Wight, Southampton Counties, Suffolk & Franklin Cities PUMA, VAHampton City PUMA, VAChesapeake City (Northeast) PUMA, VAChesapeake City (South & West) PUMA, VANorfolk City (North) PUMA, VANorfolk City (South) PUMA, VAPortsmouth & Northern Chesapeake Cities PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Portsmouth, VA is home to a population of 97.2k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.26% of Portsmouth, VA residents were born outside of the country (3.17k people).

In 2024, there were 1.42 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (48.8k people) in Portsmouth, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 34.4k White (Non-Hispanic) and 5.73k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%
2024 Citizenship
98.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of Portsmouth, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Portsmouth, VA was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Portsmouth, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Portsmouth, VA
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    48.8k ± 987
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    34.4k ± 199
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    5.73k ± 932
5.38%
Hispanic Population
5.23k people

In 2024, there were 1.42 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (48.8k people) in Portsmouth, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 34.4k White (Non-Hispanic) and 5.73k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

5.38% of the people in Portsmouth, VA are hispanic (5.23k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Portsmouth, VA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Virginia.
Most Common Origin
  1. El Salvador
    107,827 ± 8,012 people
  2. India
    97,961 ± 7,641 people
  3. Mexico
    63,695 ± 6,173 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,827 Virginia residents, followed by India with 97,961 and Mexico with 63,695.

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Foreign-Born Population

3.26%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
3.17k people
2.94%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
2.86k people

As of 2024, 3.26% of Portsmouth, VA residents (3.17k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Portsmouth, VA was 2.94%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Portsmouth, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    4,064 ± 547
  2. Vietnam
    1,895 ± 241
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,555 ± 315

Portsmouth, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.14 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Portsmouth, VA.

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Economy

The economy of Portsmouth, VA employs 42.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Portsmouth, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (6,952 people), Retail Trade (5,705 people), and Manufacturing (5,454 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($78,625), Information ($73,118), and Public Administration ($68,952).

Employment

Occupations

42.1k
2024 Value
± 1,802
1.49%
1 Year growth
± 5.89%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Portsmouth, VA grew at a rate of 1.49%, from 41.5k employees to 42.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Portsmouth, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,705 people), Sales & Related Occupations (4,028 people), and Management Occupations (3,327 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Portsmouth, VA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

42.1k
2024 Value
± 1,802
1.49%
1 Year growth
± 5.89%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Portsmouth, VA grew at a rate of 1.49%, from 41.5k employees to 42.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Portsmouth, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,952 people), Retail Trade (5,705 people), and Manufacturing (5,454 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Portsmouth, VA, though some of these residents may live in Portsmouth, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$49,387
Median earning men ± $2,169
$38,118
Median earning women ± $1,802

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($83,125), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($78,625), and Manufacturing ($66,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($74,344), Public Administration ($61,351), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,629).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Y-Axis
2.48%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Portsmouth, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (51.8%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
    Republican Party
  3. Other (0.905%)
    Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Mark Warner
Senator from Virginia2
Assumed office on January 3, 2009
Tim Kaine
Senator from Virginia1
Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Portsmouth, VA was $246,900 in 2024, which is 0.742 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $229,400 to $246,900, a 7.63% increase. The homeownership rate in Portsmouth, VA is 57.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Portsmouth, VA have an average commute time of 23.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Portsmouth, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$246,900
Median Property Value 2024
±$5,361
$23,344
Median Property Taxes
±$1,126

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Portsmouth, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Portsmouth, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

57.9%
Homeownership
2024
65.8%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 57.9% of the housing units in Portsmouth, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 56.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Portsmouth, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$60,491
Median Household Income
± $1,948
40.3k
Number of Households
± 1,690

In 2024, the median household income of the 40.3k households in Portsmouth, VA grew to $60,491 from the previous year's value of $58,972.

The following chart displays the households in Portsmouth, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Portsmouth, VA is from Virginia.
0.472
2023 Wage GINI in Virginia
0.475
2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.472 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.599% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (71.1%)
  2. Carpooled (12.3%)
  3. Worked At Home (8.71%)

In 2024, 71.1% of workers in Portsmouth, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.3%) and those who worked at home (8.71%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

23.7 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Portsmouth, VA have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.36% of the workforce in Portsmouth, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Portsmouth, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Portsmouth, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Portsmouth, VA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Portsmouth, VA (16.4k out of 94.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Portsmouth, VA is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

92.6% of the population of Portsmouth, VA has health coverage, with 32.6% on employee plans, 23.3% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 17.9% on non-group plans, and 7.19% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Virginia see 1,341 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,341 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1329 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 379 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.3% were men and 53.7% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.2% under 18 years, 22.2% between 18 and 34 years, 36.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 16% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.3% were men and 53.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

7.41%
Uninsured
32.6%
Employer Coverage
23.3%
Medicaid
11.6%
Medicare
17.9%
Non-Group
7.19%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Portsmouth, VA grew by 12.6% from 6.58% to 7.41%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Portsmouth, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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