Portsmouth, Iowa Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 204, Portsmouth's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Portsmouth is a small community located in Iowa, within Shelby County. The total population is 204. It ranks as the 696th most populous out of 1,017 Census-designated places in Iowa.

Age Demographics

The median age in Portsmouth is 47.3 years. This is 23% higher than the state median of 38.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Portsmouth is $80,781. This is 8% higher than the state median of $75,059. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 4.9%. This is 56% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.1%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Portsmouth, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $125,000. Housing costs are 40% lower than the state median of $208,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.5x, Portsmouth is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 93.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 30% higher than the state average of 71.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

Portsmouth has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.7% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 7.3%.

Education

10.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 67% lower than the state rate of 31.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Portsmouth, Iowa is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Iowa state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,017 Census-designated places in Iowa. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.