• independent city
  • FIPS 51740
  • Largest town: Portsmouth

Portsmouth city, Virginia

Portsmouth city had 96,482 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 33.3 square miles of land. It ranks 23rd of 133 in Virginia by population and 105th by land area.

Population
96,482
#23 of 133 in Virginia · #644 in US
Area
33.3 sq mi
#105 of 133 in Virginia · #3,112 in US
Density
2,897 / sq mi
#14 of 133 in Virginia · #39 in US
Median household income
$57,012
#94 of 133 in Virginia · #2,131 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Portsmouth city within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Portsmouth city

Portsmouth city population, land area and income

Portsmouth city had 96,482 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 33.3 square miles of land. It ranks 23rd of 133 in Virginia by population and 105th by land area. That works out to 2,897.4 people per square mile, 30.1 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents, so Portsmouth city is 3.5 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $57,012 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

96,482

3144th1st

644th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

33 sq mi

3144th1st

3112th of 3,144 (US)

Density

2,897.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

39th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$57,012

3143rd1st

2131st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

96,482

133rd1st

23rd of 133 (VA)

Land area

33 sq mi

133rd1st

105th of 133 (VA)

Density

2,897.4 / sq mi

133rd1st

14th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$57,012

133rd1st

94th of 133 (VA)

How Portsmouth city's population changed since 2020

Portsmouth city lost 1,515 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.5%. That ranks 111th of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Portsmouth city recorded 5,575 births and 5,328 deaths, a natural change of +247. Net international migration added +301 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -2,009. The largest single component was domestic migration, which removed 2,009 people.

98.0k202097.7k202197.0k202296.8k202396.5k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
5,575
Deaths
5,328
Net international migration
+301
Net domestic migration
-2,009
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-300

Where Portsmouth city is

The Census internal point of Portsmouth city is at 36.859300, -76.357000. It sits in UTM zone 18N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Portsmouth city outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Portsmouth city internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
36.859300, -76.357000
DMS
36°51'33.48"N 76°21'25.20"W
UTM
18N 379034.2E 4080123.6N
Geohash
dq99wqn8b
Plus code
8785VJ5V+P6

Towns in Portsmouth city

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Portsmouth city, 96,482 people together, or 100% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Portsmouth city; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Portsmouth with 96,482.

  1. 01Portsmouth96,482
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Portsmouth city

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Portsmouth city. The most populous is Chesapeake city, VA, with 254,997 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 75.6 miles NW of Portsmouth city's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Norfolk, VA (population 231,105), 7.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Portsmouth, VA (population 96,482), 0.0 miles away.

Portsmouth city FIPS code

The FIPS code of Portsmouth city is 51740: state code 51 for Virginia plus independent city code 740. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $57,012.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Portsmouth city, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 96,482. That is down 1,515 people (1.5%) from the July 2020 estimate of 97,997.

What is the FIPS code of Portsmouth city?

51740. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (740) identify the independent city.

What is the largest town in Portsmouth city?

Portsmouth, with 96,482 residents inside Portsmouth city in 2024.

Which counties border Portsmouth city?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Chesapeake city, VA; Norfolk city, VA; Newport News city, VA; Hampton city, VA; Suffolk city, VA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.