Portsmouth, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Portsmouth is located in Virginia with a total population of 97,190. It is the 21st most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Portsmouth is 35.9 years. This is 8% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Portsmouth is $60,491. This is 35% lower than the state median of $93,170. It is also 25% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.3%. This is 75% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 6.6%. This is 54% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $246,900. Housing costs are 36% lower than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.1x. 57.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% lower than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Portsmouth is Black or African American, making up 50.2% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 35.4%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (50.2% vs 18.3%). The Hispanic or Latino population (5.4%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Asian population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 6.9%.

Education

24.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% lower than the state rate of 42.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Portsmouth come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.