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Place dossier plate
SheetNH-PORTSMOUTH-NH · Portsmouth, NH 22,332 pop · income 81st pct · 73 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Portsmouth
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Portsmouth on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Cudahy · lowest
52,748
Cudahy · lowest
52,748 median HH income
46.6% of the leader · rank #1
Point Arena · near
105,726
Point Arena · near
105,726 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #2
Rock Hill · near
105,750
Rock Hill · near
105,750 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #3
Portsmouth · this city
105,756
Portsmouth · this city
105,756 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #4
Munster · near
105,764
Munster · near
105,764 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #5
East Hampton… · near
105,776
East Hampton… · near
105,776 median HH income
93.5% of the leader · rank #6
Londonderry · highest
113,109
Londonderry · highest
113,109 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Portsmouth on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 22,332.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Portsmouth - the verdict
Portsmouth ranks in the 81st percentile for household income and the 47th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
81st
percentile, household income
91st
percentile, home value
86th
percentile, median rent
47th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Portsmouth, NH
22,332 people live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $105,756 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.7%. Typical homes in Portsmouth are valued around $640,600, and the median resident age is 42.4 years. 63.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 65.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 113 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Stable), up 2% from five years earlier. Portsmouth reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1471.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
New Hampshire carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts New Hampshire at 104.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,894 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $307 across New Hampshire, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 17.5 minutes, with 67.0% driving alone and 20.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 69.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Portsmouth's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to housing and income to within-city variation to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Portsmouth, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Portsmouth?
The NCES join finds 6 public schools within the city match. 63.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
How far does income reach against housing in Portsmouth?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 6.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
What can 73 Census tracts reveal inside Portsmouth?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 73 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for Portsmouth?
Within New Hampshire, the closest population matches are Keene (22,923 residents, $78,183 income); Derry (21,668 residents, $88,901 income); Laconia (16,982 residents, $68,427 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Foley, AL (22,330 residents); Cudahy, CA (22,325 residents); Marina, CA (22,324 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Portsmouth growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,038 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 113 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+4.7%
2025 estimate
23,028
2020 estimate
21,990
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Portsmouth?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1471.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 35% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1284.3
Violent rate
187.2
Total reported rate
1471.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Portsmouth?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 67.0%. The reported mean trip to work is 17.5 minutes.
Public transit
1.2%
Work from home
20.7%
Drive alone
67.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 12,583 workers age 16+.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A+
63.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate A-
2.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income B+
$105,756
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime C-
187 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
104.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Portsmouth profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 94/100 (A+) · 63.4%
Poverty rate: 81/100 (A-) · 2.7%
Household income: 79/100 (B+) · $105,756
Violent crime: 50/100 (C-) · 187 /100k
Cost of living: 23/100 (F) · 104.2 index
Where Portsmouth sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Portsmouth's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Portsmouth highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Portsmouth, NH (this city): home $640,600, crime 1,472/100k
Foley, AL : home $260,100, crime 1,722/100k
Cudahy, CA : home $505,300, crime 2,089/100k
Marina, CA : home $760,800, crime 1,533/100k
Yorkville, IL : home $314,200, crime 462/100k
Keene, NH : home $232,500, crime 2,352/100k
Derry, NH : home $356,700, crime 827/100k
Laconia, NH : home $308,800, crime 2,678/100k
Lebanon, NH : home $345,100, crime 1,700/100k
Claremont, NH : home $171,900, crime 2,059/100k
Londonderry, NH : home $433,100, crime 486/100k
How does Portsmouth compare to other US cities?
Here's how Portsmouth stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income81% higher than other cities
Home value91% pricier than other cities
Median rent86% pricier than other cities
Safety47% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just New Hampshire and the picture shifts: Portsmouth ranks #38 of 53 New Hampshire cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Portsmouth against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New Hampshire only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
New Hampshire-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Portsmouth near the bottom of New Hampshire's cities
Among the 100 New Hampshire cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Portsmouth ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Portsmouth only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#13 of 92
86th percentile in New Hampshire
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 100
0th percentile in New Hampshire
Median Home Value
#3 of 94
97th percentile in New Hampshire
Poverty Rate
#55 of 99
44th percentile in New Hampshire
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#9 of 100
91st percentile in New Hampshire
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New Hampshire only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
81st percentile nationally for median household income · 47th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Portsmouth's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Portsmouth's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Portsmouth's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$640,6009th percentilemore affordable than 9% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Portsmouth's home-value-to-income ratio: 6.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,138 of 15,516
More affordable than 9% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,975 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 6.1×, Portsmouth sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,138 of 15,516 and #2,975 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$105,756Portsmouth, NH median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Portsmouth, NH median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Portsmouth, NH.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)63.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)65.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
22,332
Median Income
$105,756
Median Home Value
$640,600
Median Age
42.4
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Labor force participation
65.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
63.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1471.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
187.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1284.3
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Portsmouth's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
21,990 residents
2021
22,354 residents
2022
22,638 residents
2023
22,731 residents
2024
22,892 residents
2025
23,028 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
113
housing units authorized
Single-Family
37
detached homes
Multifamily
76
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
111
9
102
$15.6M
2020
172
10
162
$18.9M
2021
241
49
192
$35.3M
2022
100
56
44
$22.9M
2023
97
59
38
$25.6M
2024
113
37
76
$23.9M
Permit volume increased 2% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
17.5 minutes
Drive Alone
67.0%
Carpool
4.3%
Public Transit
1.2%
Walk
5.0%
Work from Home
20.7%
Other
1.8%
Based on 12,583 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
New Hampshire statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $307
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across New Hampshire at $307 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $52 ).
These are New Hampshire statewide averages, not a meter reading for Portsmouth. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
New Hampshire's BEA cost-of-living index is 104.2 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Portsmouth is $1,894/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to New Hampshire statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 69.9 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a New Hampshire statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Portsmouth sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Portsmouth compares to similar-size New Hampshire cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.