Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Hampton, VA
VS
Portsmouth, VA
🏆 Hampton leads 16 of 22 categories
Hampton
Virginia
16
wins
Cost of Living Index
97.4
Median Household Income
$64,430 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
65 ✓ Safer
Population
137,217 ✓ 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.
Hampton, VA
Pros
67% less violent crime than Portsmouth
Violent crime is well below the national average (247.6 vs 380/100k)
Households earn $7,276 more per year on average
More college-educated — 27.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Property crime (2882.0/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Portsmouth, VA
Pros
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Cons
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
Median income trails Hampton by $7,276/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Hampton
Median Income
$7,276
$64,430 vs $57,154/yr
Hampton
Violent Crime
67% lower
247.6 vs 752.4 per 100k
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 97.4 on the COL index
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Hampton, VA | Portsmouth, VA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 97.4 | 97.4 |
| Median Home Value | $219,800 | $213,300 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,255 | $1,225 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $64,430 ✓ Higher | $57,154 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 6.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 22.3 min ✓ Shorter | 23.2 min |
| Work From Home % | 7.0% ✓ Higher | 6.6% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 94 ✓ Safer | 192⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 65 ✓ Safer | 198⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 137⚠ High ✓ Safer | 184⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (101) ✓ Better | B- (94) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.8:1 | 13.7:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.7% ✓ Higher | 21.2% |
| High School or Higher | 92.8% ✓ Higher | 89.5% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Hampton City Public Schools | Portsmouth City Public Schools |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 49.0°F ✓ Warmer | 48.8°F |
| Avg High — July | 87.3°F | 88.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.8" ✓ Drier | 50.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.7" ✓ Less | 3.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 137,217 ✓ Larger | 97,384 |
| Median Age | 36.5 ✓ Older | 35.6 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.6% | 56.1% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 21.3% | 23.1% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 15.9% ✓ More | 15.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Hampton's cost of living index is 97.4 vs Portsmouth's 97.4 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Hampton leads 16 of 22 categories. Hampton wins 16 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 Hampton to Portsmouth or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($219,800 vs $213,300 median home), income ($64,430 vs $57,154), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Hampton, VA and Portsmouth, VA are about 13 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.