Poverty and living standards in Portsmouth, Virginia: official figures
17.3% of residents of Portsmouth (16,414 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 191st highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Virginia: 9.9%).
How many children live in poverty in Portsmouth?
24.9% of children under 18 in Portsmouth lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (5,527 children), 141st highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; Virginia: 12.3%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in Portsmouth?
By age, the poverty rate in Portsmouth was 28.1% for children under 6 and 15.0% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Portsmouth live in deep poverty?
9,026 people in Portsmouth, 9.5% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 137th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in Portsmouth are cost-burdened?
59.7% of renting households in Portsmouth spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (9,428 households), 135th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; Virginia: 48.5%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in Portsmouth spend half their income on rent?
28.7% of renting households in Portsmouth spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 292nd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Portsmouth are food insecure?
An estimated 23.6% of adults in Portsmouth experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 135th highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 19.5% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow Portsmouth compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Portsmouth ranks 191 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 188 | El Monte | 17.4% |
| 189 | Killeen | 17.4% |
| 190 | Lawrence | 17.4% |
| 191 | Portsmouth | 17.3% |
| 192 | Chicopee | 17.3% |
| 193 | Longview | 17.3% |
| 194 | Santa Maria | 17.3% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Portsmouth ranks 141 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 138 | Norfolk | 25.2% |
| 139 | Fort Lauderdale | 25.1% |
| 140 | Corpus Christi | 25.0% |
| 141 | Portsmouth | 24.9% |
| 142 | Victorville | 24.8% |
| 143 | Mission | 24.7% |
| 144 | Lafayette | 24.6% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
Portsmouth ranks 137 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 134 | Lafayette | 9.6% |
| 135 | Baytown | 9.5% |
| 136 | Brownsville | 9.5% |
| 137 | Portsmouth | 9.5% |
| 138 | Montgomery | 9.5% |
| 139 | New Bedford | 9.5% |
| 140 | Tulsa | 9.5% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
Portsmouth ranks 135 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 132 | New Orleans | 59.8% |
| 133 | Chino Hills | 59.7% |
| 134 | Garden Grove | 59.7% |
| 135 | Portsmouth | 59.7% |
| 136 | Delray Beach | 59.6% |
| 137 | Rocklin | 59.6% |
| 138 | Arlington | 59.6% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
Portsmouth ranks 137 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 134 | Everett | 23.7% |
| 135 | Los Angeles | 23.6% |
| 136 | Norwalk | 23.6% |
| 137 | Portsmouth | 23.6% |
| 138 | Decatur | 23.6% |
| 139 | Las Cruces | 23.5% |
| 140 | Fort Smith | 23.5% |
More on Portsmouth: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.