Median Income
$78,125
household / year
Median Home Value
$121,100
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$663
gross / month
Cost of Living
88
national avg = 100

Is Portsmouth, IA a Good Place to Live?

Portsmouth is a small town of 175 in Iowa, with a median household income of $78,125 . Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.

Strengths: Portsmouth stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Portsmouth is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Portsmouth city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 87.9

Portsmouth's overall cost of living index is 87.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Portsmouth costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.

Metric Portsmouth, IA National Avg
Median Home Value $121,100 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $663 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 85.1% 65.9%
Median Household Income $78,125 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for Portsmouth is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Metric Portsmouth, IA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.8% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 94.7% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Portsmouth sees average highs of 30.7°F in January and 85.9°F in July, with 34.3 inches of annual precipitation and 30.5 inches of snow per year.

MetricPortsmouth, IA
Average High — January30.7°F
Average High — July85.9°F
Annual Precipitation34.3"
Annual Snowfall30.5"

Demographics

MetricPortsmouth, IANational Avg
Population175—
Median Age50.538.9
Unemployment Rate0.0%3.7%
Avg Commute Time22.8 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)94.9%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino3.4%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1822.3%22.2%
65 and over20.6%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Tennant, IA 5 mi Persia, IA 6 mi Panama, IA 6 mi Westphalia, IA 8 mi Harlan, IA 10 mi

ZIP Codes in Portsmouth

Portsmouth, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

51565

Portsmouth vs Other Cities

Portsmouth, IA vs Tennant, IA Portsmouth, IA vs Persia, IA Portsmouth, IA vs Panama, IA Portsmouth, IA vs Westphalia, IA Portsmouth, IA vs Harlan, IA

Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth's cost of living index is 88, where 100 is the national average. That makes Portsmouth roughly 12% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $121,100 and median rent is $663/month.
Crime data for Portsmouth is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Portsmouth, IA has a population of 175, a median household income of $78,125, and an unemployment rate of 0.0%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Portsmouth averages 30.7°F in January and 85.9°F in July. Annual rainfall is 34.3 inches with about 30.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Portsmouth, IA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 51565.
The population of Portsmouth, Iowa is 175 with a median age of 50.5. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Portsmouth: cost of living index 88 (100 = US average), median home $121,100, median household income $78,125. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Portsmouth side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.