Town · Rhode Island
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth, town, in Newport County, Rhode Island. Portsmouth had 17,474 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 17,871 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 17,644 (±24). GEOID 4400557880.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
17,474
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 17,871 · ACS 2020-2024: 17,644 ±24
Median household income
$117,467
±$9,485 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $87,796
Median home value
$597,000
±$36,271 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $404,200
Median gross rent
$1,719
±$227 (90% margin)
Rhode Island: $1,342
Where is Portsmouth and what county is it in?
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island. It covers 23.0 square miles of land, 776 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Portsmouth: Melville (CDP, 1,609 in 2020).
Portsmouth is in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Portsmouth, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 17,474 people lived in Portsmouth on July 1, 2025, down 2.2% since 2020, while Rhode Island grew 1.6%. The 2020 Census counted 17,871 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 17,644 (±24).
| Measure | Portsmouth | Newport County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 17,644±24 | 84,657 | +281 |
| Households | 7,541±368 | 36,868 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.29±0.11 | 2.19 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 8,612±397 | 43,663 | no clear change |
Portsmouth's population since 2000
From 17,149 in 2000 to 17,474 in 2025: up 1.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Portsmouth as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Portsmouth?
The median resident of Portsmouth is 48.0 years old; 18.9% are under 18 and 26.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.7%. 5.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Portsmouth | Newport County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.0±2.2 | 46.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.9%±2.0 pts | 16.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 26.6%±2.7 pts | 25.5% | – |
| Male | 50.4%±1.9 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.7%±2.3 pts | 6.7% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.3%±3.0 pts | 82.4% | −4.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.4%±0.4 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.5%±0.7 pts | 1.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.0%±1.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.9%±2.3 pts | 7.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.8%±2.8 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.0%±2.3 pts | 8.4% | – |
| With a disability | 10.4%±1.9 pts | 12.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8%±1.3 pts | 3.9% | +1.6 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.9%±1.2 pts | 95.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 62.2%±3.3 pts | 54.1% | +9.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 25.4%±3.1 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.1%±2.6 pts | 87.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 4.5%±1.9 pts | 6.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Portsmouth earn?
Half of Portsmouth's 7,541 households earn less than $117,467 a year (±$9,485), against $103,514 in Newport County and $87,796 in Rhode Island. In 2015-2019 it was $123,627 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 4.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Portsmouth | Newport County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $117,467±$9,485 | $103,514 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $149,298±$9,184 | $138,641 | – |
| Per capita income | $63,379±$3,789 | $61,596 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.9%±1.9 pts | 8.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.0%±6.0 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.7%±2.2 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 99.0%±0.8 pts | 96.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.8%±1.3 pts | 94.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Portsmouth?
Owners occupy 80.7% of Portsmouth's occupied homes and renters 19.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $597,000 by its owner (±$36,271). The median renter pays $1,719 a month including utilities, and 37.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Portsmouth | Newport County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $597,000±$36,271 | $609,700 | +$121,214 |
| Median gross rent | $1,719±$227 | $1,713 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.0%±12.4 pts | 39.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,732±$264 | $2,622 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 80.7%±3.5 pts | 67.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 19.3%±3.5 pts | 32.1% | – |
| Housing units | 8,612±397 | 43,663 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.0%±2.2 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±3.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 74.8%±3.8 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.0%±1.8 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5%±0.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.8%±1.6 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.9%±3.2 pts | 30.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.2%±1.7 pts | 7.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Portsmouth building?
Builders took permits for 56 new housing units in Portsmouth in 2025 (8 in single-family houses), 3.2 per 1,000 residents against 1.6 across Rhode Island.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Portsmouth work and get to work?
76.9% of Portsmouth's workers drive alone and 16.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.0 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.1%.
| Measure | Portsmouth | Newport County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.6%±2.8 pts | 64.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1%±1.4 pts | 5.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 76.9%±3.7 pts | 69.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.0%±1.2 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.5%±0.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 0.9%±0.7 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 16.0%±3.6 pts | 15.7% | +11.2 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.0 min±1.7 | 22.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Portsmouth?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Portsmouth, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $94,750 (Tract 401.01) to $149,770 (Tract 401.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 401.02Newport County | 5,676 | $149,770 |
| Tract 401.04Newport County | 5,593 | $113,289 |
| Tract 401.01Newport County | 4,812 | $94,750 |
| Tract 401.05Newport County | 1,563 | $101,071 |
| Tract 9900Newport County | 0 | not published |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Portsmouth) · Census block assignment files
How does Portsmouth compare with other places in Rhode Island?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Portsmouth is the 700th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 12th-most populous of 31 in Rhode Island.
Portsmouth ranks 14th of 57 places in Rhode Island with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 12th | 31 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 34th | 39 |
| Residents per square mile | 34th | 57 |
| Median household income | 14th | 57 |
| Per capita income | 8th | 57 |
| Median home value | 9th | 56 |
| Median gross rent | 6th | 51 |
| Poverty rate | 30th | 45 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7th | 57 |
| Median age | 17th | 57 |
| Owner-occupied share | 22nd | 56 |
| Work from home | 12th | 49 |
| Travel time to work | 48th | 57 |
Portsmouth's figures with every place in Rhode Island (CSV)
Every place in Rhode Island, sortable · Compare Portsmouth with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Portsmouth?
9 of the 57 figures for Portsmouth on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Portsmouth are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.