What percentage of people rent in Portsmouth, VA?

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

42.1% (±1.8 points) of the occupied homes in Portsmouth, VA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 16,944 renting households against 23,344 that own their home.

In Portsmouth, the share of households that rent went from 45.0% in 2015–2019 to 42.1% in 2020–2024 (−2.9 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 42.1% (±1.8 points)
Renting households: 16,944 (±746)
Median renter income: $39,942 (±$4,075)

Who rents and who owns in Portsmouth

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Portsmouth	Portsmouth city	Virginia	United States
Renter-occupied share	42.1% (±1.8 points)	42.1% (±1.8 points)	32.7% (±0.3 points)	34.8%
Renting households	16,944 (±746)	16,944 (±746)	1,099,123 (±8,702)	45,017,354
Owning households	23,344 (±803)	23,344 (±803)	2,266,609 (±13,049)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.4 (±0.1)	2.4 (±0.1)	2.3 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.3 (±0.1)	2.3 (±0.1)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$39,942 (±$4,075)	$39,942 (±$4,075)	$60,343 (±$529)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$75,503 (±$2,348)	$75,503 (±$2,348)	$114,147 (±$479)	$100,009

In Portsmouth, the renter share is not measurably different from Portsmouth city (42.1%).

It is also higher than in Virginia (32.7%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

Statewide, it ranks 116 of 464.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Portsmouth has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	45.0% (±1.4 points)	42.1% (±1.8 points)	−2.9 percentage points	Measurable decrease
Median gross rent	$1,048 (±$18)	$1,300 (±$26)	+24.0%	No measurable change after inflation
Median household income	$52,175 (±$1,675)	$60,491 (±$1,948)	+15.9%	Down after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Portsmouth

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Portsmouth
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Portsmouth	—	42.1% (±1.8 points)	—
Norfolk	7.6 mi	53.7% (±1.4 points)	Higher
Carrollton	11 mi	30.9% (±6.1 points)	Lower
Chesapeake	13 mi	25.6% (±1.3 points)	Lower
Hampton	13 mi	43.1% (±1.6 points)	Not measurably different
Benns Church	14 mi	6.7% (±7.8 points)	Lower
Smithfield	16 mi	17.7% (±5.7 points)	Lower
Bethel Manor	17 mi	100.0% (±3.0 points)	Higher
Newport News	18 mi	51.8% (±1.4 points)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Carrollton, VA (30.9%), Chesapeake, VA (25.6%), Benns Church, VA (6.7%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Norfolk, VA (53.7%), Bethel Manor, VA (100.0%), Newport News, VA (51.8%).

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), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Portsmouth

How many renters are there in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth has an estimated 16,944 (±746) renting households, 42.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Portsmouth?

In Portsmouth, the share of households that rent went from 45.0% in 2015–2019 to 42.1% in 2020–2024 (−2.9 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

How big are renting households in Portsmouth?

A renting household in Portsmouth has 2.4 people on average, against 2.3 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Portsmouth?

The median renting household in Portsmouth, VA has an income of $39,942 (±$4,075) a year, against $75,503 for households that own their home.

Sources

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) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) 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 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

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.