Portsmouth, NH
Census place 3362900 · pop 22,545
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$688,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,780/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
51.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.16% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
84/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
819 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
96 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
6.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
38 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
29.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$106,219 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
16.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
64.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Frequently asked
- Is Portsmouth, NH a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Portsmouth scores 62/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher and its weakest is housing cost. New Hampshire overall ranks #6 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Portsmouth, NH?
- Portsmouth reports 96 violent crimes per 100k and 819 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Portsmouth, NH expensive to live in?
- Portsmouth has a median home value of $688,500 and typical rent around $2,780/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Portsmouth, NH?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($688,500) — 10/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Portsmouth, NH best at?
- Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (64.0%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.