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CITY

Portsmouth

New Hampshire · 23,028 residents (2025 est.) · 15.7 sq mi
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The short version

With 22,545 people, Portsmouth is a city in New Hampshire. This is an unusually credentialed place: 64% of adults have a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $688,500, having more than tripled since 2000. Few US cities rank higher on income. Owners hold 52% of the housing stock. The median age is 42.9, about 4 years above the US median.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $106,219, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
64% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 130%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Portsmouth

What changed most since 1990

  • Adults with a bachelor's degree26.6% → 64.0% (+37.4 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
  • White share91.0% → 86.2% (−4.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Median age31.1 → 42.9 (+11.8 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years

Among the 128 cities and towns in the Boston metro

  • 78th in household income$106,219
  • 35th in share with a bachelor's degree64.0%
  • 44th in home value$688,500
  • 79th in diversity score31.4

Its weight in Rockingham County

Portsmouth's population equals 7.1% of Rockingham County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 13% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 14% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
22,545
+8%since 2000
from 20,784 in 2000
23,028 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,440 / sq mi
+8%since 2000
from 1,327 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
42.9
+11%since 2000
from 38.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
15.7 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
20K22K23K25K26K19902000201020202024Portsmouth
202423K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(1,089)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.6%(1,035)
US avg: 6%
10 to 143.1%(698)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 192.8%(631)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.4%(1,212)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3417.8%(4,018)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.8%(3,106)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.5%(2,583)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.3%(3,227)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.8%(2,438)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 848.5%(1,916)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.6%(592)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$106,219
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,195 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$72,411
+163%since 2000
from $27,540 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
64.5%
+24.1 ptssince 2009
from 40.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.8%
−2.5 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.482
+14%since 2010
from 0.422 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade10.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services9.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration7.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food3.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Wholesale trade3.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 2.2%
Finance & insurance2.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical1.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$688,500
+130%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $164,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,869
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $727 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
51.9%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 50.0% in 2000
48.1% rent
Vacancy rate
4.1%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.02 people
−6%since 2009
from 2.14 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
28.0%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 33.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 47.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.5
+23%since 2009
from 5.3 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
81
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92.7%(19,263)
Black2%(416)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(280)
Asian2.4%(507)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic86.2%(19,431)
Black0.2%(51)
Hispanic / Latino3.8%(864)
Asian4.1%(919)
Other5.7%(1,280)
Diversity Score
31
+30%since 2009
from 24 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican0.8%(191)
Mexican0.5%(122)
Dominican0.5%(114)
Spaniard0.2%(56)
Colombian0.2%(54)
Chilean0.2%(52)
Paraguayan0.2%(48)
Peruvian0.2%(46)
Cuban0.1%(25)
Asian origin
Chinese1.4%(326)
Asian Indian1.2%(279)
Korean0.7%(155)
Filipino0.3%(72)
Thai0.2%(44)
Cambodian0.1%(33)
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0%(8)
Ancestry
Irish21.7%(4,899)
English21%(4,739)
German9.5%(2,137)
Italian9.4%(2,110)
Scottish5.8%(1,313)
French5%(1,133)
French Canadian4.5%(1,016)
American3.9%(874)
Polish3.8%(856)
Russian2.1%(482)
Swedish1.6%(357)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(302)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1.2%(262)
Arab1%(215)
Welsh0.9%(207)
Lithuanian0.9%(203)
Finnish0.9%(193)
Norwegian0.8%(189)
Greek0.8%(185)
Portuguese0.8%(174)
British0.8%(171)
Ukrainian0.7%(163)
Danish0.5%(123)
Romanian0.5%(110)
Syrian0.5%(107)
Swiss0.4%(93)
Canadian0.4%(86)
Turkish0.3%(75)
Austrian0.3%(68)
Lebanese0.3%(62)
Brazilian0.2%(49)
Hungarian0.2%(43)
Czech0.1%(31)
Israeli0.1%(31)
Australian0.1%(29)
Iraqi0.1%(26)
Egyptian0.1%(20)
Slovak0.1%(16)
West Indian0.1%(16)
Haitian0.1%(13)
Slovene0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
64.0%
+22.1 ptssince 2000
from 41.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
97.4%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 91.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
23.4%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.2 min
+42%since 2000
from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
68.6%
−15.3 ptssince 2009
from 83.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
2.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
21.9%
+17.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.1%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.5%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 4.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.0%
−7.9 ptssince 2011
from 74.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.8%
−5.1 ptssince 2020
from 82.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
9.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
60.5%
+14.1 ptssince 2009
from 46.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
9.6%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.5%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 11.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.7%
−5.4 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.6%
+7.5 ptssince 2017
from 87.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.7%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 95.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 82.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
89.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 90.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.3%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 2.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.8%(3,813)
Married47.4%(4,666)
Widowed2.5%(246)
Divorced11.3%(1,109)
Women 15+
Never married30.8%(3,050)
Married46.2%(4,573)
Widowed10.8%(1,069)
Divorced12.1%(1,197)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.7%
−5.4 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
67.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 68.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.9%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 20.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
6.9%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 9.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
82.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 83.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 27.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)11.1%(139)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)9.8%(122)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era49.7%(620)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0.8%(10)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(7)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,247 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Portsmouth, decade by decade

Portsmouth population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199025,925$73,421$330,72926.6%21.0
200020,784$82,330$299,66241.9%17.4
201020,779$89,466$457,17848.7%23.9
202021,956$95,402$552,93261.4%30.0
202422,545$106,219$688,50064.0%31.4

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Portsmouth

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Pop 23,827
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Pop 22,819
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Pop 21,064
Groveland
Pop 25,526
Places similar to Portsmouth
Head to head

Compare Portsmouth to nearby cities

PORTSMOUTH VS
Hampton
Income$97,163−9%
Home value$545,300−21%
Population10,101−56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTSMOUTH VS
Durham
Income$112,070+6%
Home value$498,000−28%
Population10,681−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTSMOUTH VS
Dover
Income$94,829−11%
Home value$436,700−37%
Population34,623+50%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PORTSMOUTH VS
Exeter
Income$87,346−18%
Home value$357,500−48%
Population9,964−57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?

Portsmouth, New Hampshire has about 22,545 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?

The typical household in Portsmouth, New Hampshire earns about $106,219 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Portsmouth, New Hampshire expensive?

In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the median home is worth about $688,500, and the typical rent is about $1,869 a month.

How educated are people in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?

About 64.0% of adults age 25 and over in Portsmouth, New Hampshire hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Portsmouth, New Hampshire?

About 6.8% of people in Portsmouth, New Hampshire live below the federal poverty line.

Has Portsmouth, New Hampshire grown since 1990?

Yes, Portsmouth, New Hampshire has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 3,380 residents, a change of about -13 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →