Portsmouth city vs Roanoke city
A side-by-side comparison of Portsmouth city and Roanoke city: population, income, housing, and more.
Portsmouth city and Roanoke city are counties in Virginia. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Roanoke city has the higher population (98,677 vs 97,299 in Portsmouth city). Portsmouth city has the higher median household income ($58,972 vs $52,671 in Roanoke city). Portsmouth city has the higher median home value ($229,400 vs $180,500 in Roanoke city).
Population, income & housing
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 97,299 | 98,677 |
| Median age | 35.8 yrs | 38.0 yrs |
| Median household income | $58,972 | $52,671 |
| Median home value | $229,400 | $180,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,266 | $964 |
| Housing units | 43,233 | 48,931 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.9% | 51.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 28.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 5.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 95,097 → 97,299 (+2.3%) | 99,229 → 98,677 (-0.6%) |
| Median household income | $52,175 → $58,972 (+13.0%) | $44,230 → $52,671 (+19.1%) |
| Median home value | $170,900 → $229,400 (+34.2%) | $135,100 → $180,500 (+33.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,048 → $1,266 (+20.8%) | $814 → $964 (+18.4%) |
Portsmouth city
95,09797,299
$52,175$58,972
$170,900$229,400
$1,048$1,266
Roanoke city
99,22998,677
$44,230$52,671
$135,100$180,500
$814$964
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7.1% | 6.4% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.1% | 16.2% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.1% | 7.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.6% | 15.1% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.0% | 12.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 12.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.3% | 12.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.3% | 10.5% |
| 75 and over | 5.8% | 7.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 35.9% | 55.5% |
| Black or African American | 51.2% | 28.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 3.1% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 5.7% | 3.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.1% | 8.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 10.8% | 10.4% |
| High school graduate | 31.7% | 33.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 34.3% | 26.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 14.9% | 17.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 8.3% | 11.3% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 73.1% | 76.2% |
| Carpooled | 11.9% | 7.3% |
| Public transit | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| Walked | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 7.9% | 10.7% |
| Other means | 2.5% | 1.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 61.1% | 61.1% |
| 1-unit, attached | 9.2% | 3.7% |
| 2 to 4 units | 9.6% | 12.1% |
| 5 to 19 units | 13.0% | 14.6% |
| 20 or more units | 6.4% | 7.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.7% | 0.9% |
Poverty & households
| Portsmouth city | Roanoke city | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.6% | 19.7% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.23 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 23 | 20 |
| Median year structure built | 1966 | 1959 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Virginia
- Most densely populated — counties in Virginia
- Highest median household income — counties in Virginia
- Highest median home value — counties in Virginia
- Most affordable home values — counties in Virginia
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Virginia
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Virginia
- Oldest by median age — counties in Virginia
- Youngest by median age — counties in Virginia
- Most college-educated — counties in Virginia
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Virginia
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Virginia
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Virginia
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Virginia
- Longest commutes — counties in Virginia
- Shortest commutes — counties in Virginia
- Largest households — counties in Virginia
- Newest housing — counties in Virginia
- Oldest housing — counties in Virginia
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Virginia
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Virginia