United States › Ohio › Portsmouth CITY
Portsmouth Ohio · 17,282 residents (2025 est.) · 10.7 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
With 17,728 people, Portsmouth is a city in Ohio. 35.4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 17% of adults. That trails the Ohio median by roughly 51%. Owners hold 48% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $103,300, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 20,909 in 2000
17,282 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,652 / sq mi
−12%since 2009
from 1,881 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 19K 20K 22K 23K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Portsmouth Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $34,713
−17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $23,004 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,078 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 23.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.506 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 3.9%
Public administration 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Education & health services 0.8%
Transportation & warehousing 0.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$103,300
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $52,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$747
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $367 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 53.2% in 2000
51.9% rent
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.11 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 47.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.0 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 91%(19,027)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(195)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 84.5%(14,983)
Hispanic / Latino 3.7%(657)
from 22 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 19 more ancestry groups with data from 12.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 74.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 14.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 81.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 16.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 13.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 49.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 60.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 20.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 33.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 25.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 17.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 65.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 80.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 78.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 48.4%(3,373)
Women 15+
Never married 35.5%(2,801)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 17.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 34.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 49.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 41.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 64.4% 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) 6.3%(61)
Gulf War (1990s) 16.2%(156)
Share of the 961 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.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Portsmouth, Ohio? Portsmouth, Ohio has about 17,728 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Portsmouth, Ohio? The typical household in Portsmouth, Ohio earns about $34,713 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Portsmouth, Ohio expensive? In Portsmouth, Ohio, the median home is worth about $103,300, and the typical rent is about $747 a month.
How educated are people in Portsmouth, Ohio? About 17.4% of adults age 25 and over in Portsmouth, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Portsmouth, Ohio? About 35.4% of people in Portsmouth, Ohio live below the federal poverty line.
Has Portsmouth, Ohio grown since 1990? Yes, Portsmouth, Ohio has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 5,016 residents, a change of about -22 percent over that period.
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