Portsmouth is a larger medium-sized coastal city (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of Virginia. With a population of 100,565 people and 31 constituent neighborhoods, Portsmouth is the 9th largest community in Virginia.

Portsmouth is neither predominently blue-collar or white-collar, instead having a mixed workforce of both blue-collar and white-collar jobs. Overall, Portsmouth is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Portsmouth who work in office and administrative support jobs (17.67%), sales jobs (10.14%), and management occupations (5.88%).

There are quite a few people in the armed forces living in Portsmouth, and when you visit or drive around town, you will see military people in and out of uniform, shopping, enjoying life, and being part of the community.

The city is also nautical, which means that parts of Portsmouth are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

Portsmouth Information and Demographics

In terms of college education, the citizens of Portsmouth rank slightly lower than the national average. 13.81% of adults 25 and older in Portsmouth have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree, while 14.96% of adults have a 4-year degree or higher in the average American community.

The per capita income in Portsmouth in 2000 was $16,507, which is lower middle income relative to Virginia and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $66,028 for a family of four.

Portsmouth is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Portsmouth home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Portsmouth is African-American, followed by White. Important ancestries of people in Portsmouth include English, Irish, and German.

The most common language spoken in Portsmouth is English. Some people also speak Spanish.