Portsmouth, VA

Census Place

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2023 Population

97,299

0.0873% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

35.8

0.562% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

17.6%

1.32% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$58,972

3.18% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$229,400

7.55% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

41,523

0.577% 1-year decline

About

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Portsmouth, VA are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (51.2%), White (Non-Hispanic) (35.9%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (5.72%), Two+ (Hispanic) (1.85%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.52%).

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.

98.6% of the residents in Portsmouth, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Portsmouth, VA was $229,400, and the homeownership rate was N/A%.

Most people in Portsmouth, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23 minutes. The average car ownership in Portsmouth, VA was 2 cars per household.

United States Virginia Portsmouth city, VA Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Isle of Wight, Southampton Counties, Suffolk & Franklin Cities PUMA, VA Hampton City PUMA, VA Chesapeake City (Northeast) PUMA, VA Chesapeake City (South & West) PUMA, VA Norfolk City (North) PUMA, VA Norfolk City (South) PUMA, VA Portsmouth & Northern Chesapeake Cities PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Portsmouth, VA is home to a population of 97.3k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.94% of Portsmouth, VA residents were born outside of the country (2.86k people).

In 2023, there were 1.42 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (49.8k people) in Portsmouth, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35k White (Non-Hispanic) and 5.56k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

98.6%

2022 Citizenship

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Portsmouth, VA

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
49.8k ± 861
White (Non-Hispanic)
35k ± 205
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
5.56k ± 890

5.08%

Hispanic Population

4.94k people

5.08% of the people in Portsmouth, VA are hispanic (4.94k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Portsmouth, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,605 ± 8,003 people
India
98,735 ± 7,670 people
Mexico
59,855 ± 5,986 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,605 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,735 and Mexico with 59,855.

Foreign-Born Population

2.94%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.86k people

3.05%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

2.97k people

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
3,506 ± 474
Vietnam
1,906 ± 281
Gulf War (1990s)
1,588 ± 367

Portsmouth, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.84 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Portsmouth, VA employs 41.5k people. The largest industries in Portsmouth, VA are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,497 people), Retail Trade (5,422 people), and Manufacturing (5,203 people), and the highest paying industries are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($76,875), Information ($70,705), and Utilities ($68,125).

Males in Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,674. The income inequality in Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.475, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

41.5k

2023 Value

± 1,737

−0.577%

1 Year decline

± 5.83%

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Portsmouth, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (5,117 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,562 people), and Management Occupations (3,319 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Portsmouth, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

41.5k

2023 Value

± 1,737

−0.577%

1 Year decline

± 5.83%

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Portsmouth, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,497 people), Retail Trade (5,422 people), and Manufacturing (5,203 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,147

Median earning men ± $1,733

$36,703

Median earning women ± $1,833

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($76,875), Public Administration ($74,091), and Information ($70,238).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($71,118), Public Administration ($60,794), and Construction ($56,765).

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.

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Portsmouth, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (51.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.884% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.904% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.71M), Bachelors Degree (1.47M), and Some college (1.4M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Portsmouth, VA was $229,400 in 2023, which is 0.756 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $213,300 to $229,400, a 7.55% increase. The homeownership rate in Portsmouth, VA is N/A%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Portsmouth, VA have an average commute time of 23 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.

Median household income in Portsmouth, VA is $58,972. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Portsmouth, VA was Census Tract 2130.02 with a value of $118,047, followed by Census Tract 2131.04 and Census Tract 2130.01, with respective values of $103,500 and $92,442.

Housing

Property

$229,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$4,802

$22,557

Median Property Taxes

±$1,076

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.

Rent vs Own

N/A%

Homeownership

N/A

64.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 2130.02
Census Tract 2131.04
Census Tract 2130.01

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Portsmouth, VA was Census Tract 2130.02 with a value of $118,047, followed by Census Tract 2131.04 and Census Tract 2130.01, with respective values of $103,500 and $92,442.

The following map shows all of the places in Portsmouth, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$58,972

Median Household Income

± $1,991

N/A

Number of Households

± 0

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Portsmouth, VA is from Virginia.

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.164% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (73.1%)
Carpooled (11.9%)
Worked At Home (7.86%)

In 2023, 73.1% of workers in Portsmouth, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.9%) and those who worked at home (7.86%).

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.

Commute Time

23 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Portsmouth, VA have a shorter commute time (23 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.3% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Portsmouth, VA (16.6k out of 94.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 18 - 24.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

93.4% of the population of Portsmouth, VA has health coverage, with 35.2% on employee plans, 22.9% on Medicaid, 11.2% on Medicare, 17.6% on non-group plans, and 6.56% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Portsmouth city, VA see 1668 patients per year on average, which represents a 6.34% decrease from the previous year (1781 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 639 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 309 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Portsmouth city, VA.

1,668 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Portsmouth city, VA

Primary care physicians in Portsmouth city, VA see an average of 1,668 patients per year. This represents a 6.34% decrease from the previous year (1,781 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Portsmouth city, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.4% under 18 years, 22.4% between 18 and 34 years, 36.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.5% were men and 54.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.58%

Uninsured

35.2%

Employer Coverage

22.9%

Medicaid

11.2%

Medicare

17.6%

Non-Group

6.56%

Military or VA

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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State

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