Living in Portsmouth, NH
Small city in New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a small city in New Hampshire, home to about 22,000 people, with 438,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Portsmouth a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 78°F
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Dog-friendly: 7 dog parks within 9 mi
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $910k, and rent is $2,690 a month
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Portsmouth ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Portsmouth: common questions
What is the cost of living in Portsmouth?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $910k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,690 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 106, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Portsmouth?
New Hampshire collects about $66 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.23% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Portsmouth safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 35°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 56″ of snow a year.
Does Portsmouth get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, earthquakes and coastal flooding: 15 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.23 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Portsmouth?
The nearest major airport is PWM, about 47 mi away.
How Portsmouth scores
Each bar compares Portsmouth with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Portsmouth right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.