Portsmouth is a medium-sized city located in the state of Ohio. With a population of 17,555 people and seven associated neighborhoods, Portsmouth is the 102nd largest community in Ohio. Portsmouth has a large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.

The percentage of adults in Portsmouth who are college-educated is close to the national average for all communities of 21.84%: 17.99% of the adults in Portsmouth have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.

The per capita income in Portsmouth in 2022 was $23,758, which is low income relative to Ohio and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $95,032 for a family of four. However, Portsmouth contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Portsmouth also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 37.49% of its population below the federal poverty line.

Portsmouth is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Portsmouth home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Portsmouth residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Portsmouth include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Scottish.

The most common language spoken in Portsmouth is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.