What kinds of homes are in Portsmouth, VA?

Name: Types of homes in Portsmouth, VA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Portsmouth, VA has 43,318 (±67) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 1,301 homes per square mile of land.

61.5% are detached single-family houses.

9.5% are in buildings of two to four units.

19.7% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 43,318 (±67)
Detached houses: 61.5%
2–4 unit buildings: 9.5%
5+ unit buildings: 19.7%

Homes in Portsmouth by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Portsmouth	Portsmouth city	Virginia	United States
Single-family, detached	61.5% (±1.5 points)	61.5%	61.3%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	8.7% (±1.0 points)	8.7%	11.3%	6.2%
2 units	2.7% (±0.7 points)	2.7%	1.6%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	6.8% (±1.0 points)	6.8%	2.9%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	9.0% (±1.2 points)	9.0%	4.4%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	3.6% (±0.7 points)	3.6%	5.2%	4.3%
20 or more units	7.1% (±0.9 points)	7.1%	8.9%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.7% (±0.3 points)	0.7%	4.3%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.0%	0.0%	0.1%

In Portsmouth, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is not measurably different from Portsmouth city (19.7%).

It is not measurably different from Virginia (18.5%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Portsmouth

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Portsmouth
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Portsmouth	—	19.7% (±1.7 points)	—
Norfolk	7.6 mi	29.1% (±1.3 points)	Higher
Carrollton	11 mi	24.7% (±6.4 points)	Not measurably different
Chesapeake	13 mi	12.2% (±1.0 points)	Lower
Hampton	13 mi	21.6% (±1.5 points)	Not measurably different
Benns Church	14 mi	3.9% (±11.1 points)	Lower
Smithfield	16 mi	11.1% (±4.5 points)	Lower
Bethel Manor	17 mi	7.2% (±8.7 points)	Lower
Newport News	18 mi	28.1% (±1.5 points)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Chesapeake, VA (12.2%), Benns Church, VA (3.9%), Smithfield, VA (11.1%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Norfolk, VA (29.1%), Newport News, VA (28.1%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Portsmouth

How many homes are in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth, VA has an estimated 43,318 (±67) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Portsmouth houses or apartments?

61.5% are detached houses and 8.7% attached houses, while 29.2% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Portsmouth?

9.5% of homes in Portsmouth are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Portsmouth city, Virginia

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Portsmouth city, Virginia (place:64000, in state:51).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.