Portsmouth vs Virginia Beach
Portsmouth, Virginia versus Virginia Beach, Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Portsmouth and Virginia Beach score about the same overall (47 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Portsmouth | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $57k | $88k |
| Cost of Living | $52k | $64k |
| Home Value | $213k | $344k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.11% | 0.82% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 5.77% | 5.77% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.86% | 10.93% |
| Unemployment | 6.6% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 81°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.0 in | 54.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.0 in | 3.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 242 days | 198 days |
| Summer Humidity | 70°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 89 days | 89 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 12.1 | 2.3 |
| Air Quality | 44 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.4 | 52.3 |
| Violent Crime | 2538/100k | 1013/100k |
| Property Crime | 4892/100k | 1745/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 97,384 | 457,900 |
| Median Age | 35.6 | 37.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.56 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+42 | Even |
| White (%) | 36.4% | 59.9% |
| Black (%) | 51.0% | 18.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.0% | 8.8% |
| Asian (%) | 1.4% | 6.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.2% | 6.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 12.1/20 | 9.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.2% | 93.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 45.59 | 3.97 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Portsmouth or Virginia Beach more affordable?
- Portsmouth has the lower cost of living: its index is $52k, compared with Portsmouth's $52k and Virginia Beach's $64k. Median rent is $1k in Portsmouth versus $2k in Virginia Beach.
- Is Portsmouth or Virginia Beach safer?
- Virginia Beach has the lower violent crime rate. Portsmouth reports 2538/100k and Virginia Beach reports 1013/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Portsmouth or Virginia Beach?
- The median home value is $213k in Portsmouth and $344k in Virginia Beach, so homes are more affordable in Portsmouth.