Portsmouth, VA

Census Place

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2021 Population

97,454

2.63% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

35.5

0% 1-year change

2021 Poverty Rate

17.2%

8.99% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$54,020

1.52% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$182,700

4.88% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Portsmouth, VA had a population of 97.5k people with a median age of 35.5 and a median household income of $54,020. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Portsmouth, VA grew from 94,961 to 97,454, a 2.63% increase and its median household income grew from $53,213 to $54,020, a 1.52% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Portsmouth, VA are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (51.8%), White (Non-Hispanic) (36.5%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.72%), White (Hispanic) (1.63%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.55%).

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 2021, the median property value in Portsmouth, VA was $182,700, and the homeownership rate was 55.7%.

Most people in Portsmouth, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.9 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 Portsmouth & Norfolk (Southwest) Cities PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Portsmouth, VA is home to a population of 97.5k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2021, 3.2% of Portsmouth, VA residents were born outside of the country (3.12k people).

In 2021, there were 1.42 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (50.5k people) in Portsmouth, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35.6k White (Non-Hispanic) and 4.6k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.6%

2021 Citizenship

98.5%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 98.6% of Portsmouth, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Portsmouth, VA was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
50.5k ± 769
White (Non-Hispanic)
35.6k ± 246
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
4.6k ± 854

4.81%

Hispanic Population

4.69k people

4.81% of the people in Portsmouth, VA are hispanic (4.69k people).

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

Foreign-Born Population

3.2%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

3.12k people

3.38%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

3.21k people

As of 2021, 3.2% of Portsmouth, VA residents (3.12k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Portsmouth, VA was 3.38%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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-)
3,688 ± 503
Vietnam
2,110 ± 277
Gulf War (1990s)
1,450 ± 341

Portsmouth, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.75 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 (6,583 people), Retail Trade (5,322 people), and Manufacturing (4,567 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($67,829), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($56,014), and Public Administration ($55,657).

Employment

Occupations

41.5k

2021 Value

± 1,648

1.15%

1 Year growth

± 5.44%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Portsmouth, VA grew at a rate of 1.15%, from 41.1k employees to 41.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Portsmouth, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (5,173 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,635 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (2,966 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 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

41.5k

2021 Value

± 1,648

1.15%

1 Year growth

± 5.44%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Portsmouth, VA grew at a rate of 1.15%, from 41.1k employees to 41.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Portsmouth, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,583 people), Retail Trade (5,322 people), and Manufacturing (4,567 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

$44,147

Median earning men ± $1,464

$30,190

Median earning women ± $1,360

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,750), Public Administration ($65,351), and Information ($62,977).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($48,485), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,107), and Manufacturing ($37,449).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $37.7B, followed by Electronics ($29B) and Machinery ($23.6B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Virginia products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Virginia.

$313B

2020 Value in Virginia

$612B

Projected 2050 Value in Virginia

95.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound Virginia trade was $313B. This is expected to increase 95.3% to $612B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Virginia trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Most Common Trade Partners

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was North Carolina with $26B, followed by Maryland with $18.5B and Pennsylvania and $12.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Virginia shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (44%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.45%).

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.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (54.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (44%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.45%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (44%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.45%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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 2021, 0.836% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.859% 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 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.68M), Bachelors Degree (1.44M), and Some college (1.41M).

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 $182,700 in 2021, which is 0.746 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $174,200 to $182,700, a 4.88% increase. The homeownership rate in Portsmouth, VA is 55.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Portsmouth, VA have an average commute time of 22.9 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 $54,020. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Portsmouth, VA was Census Tract 2131.04 with a value of $87,904, followed by Census Tract 2130.02 and Census Tract 2130.01, with respective values of $85,085 and $84,567.

Property

$182,700

Median Property Value 2021

±$6,182

$21,463

Median Property Taxes

±$1,038

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 $2k - $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

55.7%

Homeownership

2021

63.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 55.7% of the housing units in Portsmouth, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 55.3%.

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 2131.04
Census Tract 2130.02
Census Tract 2130.01

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Portsmouth, VA was Census Tract 2131.04 with a value of $87,904, followed by Census Tract 2130.02 and Census Tract 2130.01, with respective values of $85,085 and $84,567.

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.

$54,020

Median Household Income

± $2,249

38.6k

Number of Households

± 1,525

In 2021, the median household income of the 38.6k households in Portsmouth, VA grew to $54,020 from the previous year's value of $53,213.

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.

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.478

2020 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2021, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.476 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.381% decline from 2020 to 2021, 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 2021

Drove Alone (77.2%)
Carpooled (10%)
Worked At Home (5.14%)

In 2021, 77.2% of workers in Portsmouth, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10%) and those who worked at home (5.14%).

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

22.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Portsmouth, VA have a shorter commute time (22.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 1.04% 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

17.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Portsmouth, VA (16.1k out of 93.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

90.8% of the population of Portsmouth, VA has health coverage, with 36.7% on employee plans, 20.2% on Medicaid, 10.6% on Medicare, 15.6% on non-group plans, and 7.66% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Virginia was $7,556 in 2014. This is a 3.42% increase from the previous year ($7,306).

Primary care physicians in Portsmouth city, VA see 1781 patients per year on average, which represents a 4.04% decrease from the previous year (1856 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 720 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 310 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,781 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Portsmouth city, VA

Primary care physicians in Portsmouth city, VA see an average of 1,781 patients per year. This represents a 4.04% decrease from the previous year (1,856 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 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.8% under 18 years, 22% between 18 and 34 years, 36.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.7% were men and 54.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.19%

Uninsured

36.7%

Employer Coverage

20.2%

Medicaid

10.6%

Medicare

15.6%

Non-Group

7.66%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Portsmouth, VA declined by 2.26% from 9.4% to 9.19%.

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.