Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Concord, NC
VS
Portsmouth, VA
🏆 Concord leads 17 of 23 categories
Concord
North Carolina
17
wins
Cost of Living Index
97.0 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$83,480 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
42 ✓ Safer
Population
105,335 ✓ Larger
Portsmouth
Virginia
6
wins
Cost of Living Index
97.4
Median Household Income
$57,154
Violent Crime Index
198⚠ High
Population
97,384
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Concord, NC
Pros
79% less violent crime than Portsmouth
Households earn $26,326 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (159.0 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.9 pts lower (4.7%)
More college-educated — 40.8% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Portsmouth, VA
Pros
Homes cost $75k less ($213,300 vs $288,100)
Commutes run 4 min shorter each way
Smaller class sizes — 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Concord by $26,326/yr
Violent crime (752.4/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (3860.8/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (6.6% vs 4.7%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Concord
Median Income
$26,326
$83,480 vs $57,154/yr
Concord
Violent Crime
79% lower
159.0 vs 752.4 per 100k
Concord
Unemployment
1.9 pp lower
4.7% vs 6.6% unemployment
Concord
Summer Heat
3.8°F warmer
July avg high 91.8°F vs 88.0°F
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 97.0 on the COL index
Portsmouth
Median Home Value
$75k less
$213,300 vs $288,100
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Concord, NC | Portsmouth, VA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 97.0 ✓ Cheaper | 97.4 |
| Median Home Value | $288,100 | $213,300 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,259 | $1,225 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $83,480 ✓ Higher | $57,154 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 6.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 27.3 min | 23.2 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 14.2% ✓ Higher | 6.6% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 46 ✓ Safer | 192⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 42 ✓ Safer | 198⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 53 ✓ Safer | 184⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (106) ✓ Better | B- (94) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 16.4:1 | 13.7:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.8% ✓ Higher | 21.2% |
| High School or Higher | 91.2% ✓ Higher | 89.5% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Cabarrus County Schools | Portsmouth City Public Schools |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 52.8°F ✓ Warmer | 48.8°F |
| Avg High — July | 91.8°F ✓ Warmer | 88.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.0" ✓ Drier | 50.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.3" | 3.0" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 105,335 ✓ Larger | 97,384 |
| Median Age | 37.3 ✓ Older | 35.6 |
| Homeownership Rate | 69.4% ✓ Higher | 56.1% |
| Under 18 | 25.4% ✓ More | 23.1% |
| Over 65 | 12.3% | 15.1% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Concord's cost of living index is 97.0 vs Portsmouth's 97.4 (US average = 100).
Concord is 0% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Concord leads 17 of 23 categories. Concord wins 17 and Portsmouth wins 6. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Concord to Portsmouth or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($288,100 vs $213,300 median home), income ($83,480 vs $57,154), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Concord, NC and Portsmouth, VA are about 259 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.