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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Portsmouth, NH
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Portsmouth profile


Living in Portsmouth



Portsmouth is a medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New Hampshire. With a population of 22,713 people and seven associated neighborhoods, Portsmouth is the 13th largest community in New Hampshire. Portsmouth has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities.

Portsmouth home prices are not only among the most expensive in New Hampshire, but Portsmouth real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that Portsmouth has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Of important note, Portsmouth is also a city of artists. Portsmouth has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Portsmouth’s character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 17.77% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Portsmouth, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.

Portsmouth is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Portsmouth. 63.06% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Portsmouth in 2018 was $67,924, which is wealthy relative to New Hampshire and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $271,696 for a family of four.

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 Asian. Important ancestries of people in Portsmouth include Irish, English, Italian, German, and French.

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