Portsmouth city, Virginia

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.7 | 96,793 people · 6th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Portsmouth city, VA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.7 — 176th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Virginia, it ranks 6th of 133 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Portsmouth city's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 96.6 — worse than roughly 97% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 96.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Debt & Delinquency 81.4
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 24
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 87
Credit Card Delinquency 97
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Income & Poverty 79.8
Poverty Rate 81
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 80
Employment & Wages 52.7
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 81
Business Formation Rate 11
Community Vulnerability 43.2
Uninsured Rate 36
Disability Rate 50

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Portsmouth city compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Portsmouth city
Portsmouth city, VA 70.7 Serious —
Norfolk city, VA 68.6 Serious -2.1
Newport News city, VA 65.8 Serious -4.9
Hampton city, VA 64.3 Elevated -6.4
Suffolk city, VA 48.8 Normal -22.0
Chesapeake city, VA 45.2 Normal -25.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Portsmouth city
Comanche County, OK 70.7 Serious 0.0
Columbia County, FL 70.7 Serious -0.0
Butte County, CA 70.7 Serious -0.0
Caddo Parish, LA 70.7 Serious -0.1
Polk County, TX 70.8 Serious +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Portsmouth city as a CSV file.

Find Help in Portsmouth city

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Portsmouth city.

VIRGINIA HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP
Portsmouth
757-800-1647 Website
Pre-PurchaseHomebuyer EducationRental Help

See all counselors in Virginia →

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Portsmouth city residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Virginia →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Portsmouth city, Virginia?

    Portsmouth city has a County Distress Index score of 70.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 176th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Portsmouth city?

    The primary driver of distress in Portsmouth city is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 96.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Portsmouth city compare to neighboring counties?

    Portsmouth city (70.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Norfolk city, VA (68.6); Newport News city, VA (65.8); Hampton city, VA (64.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Portsmouth city?

    Portsmouth city, Virginia has a population of approximately 96,793 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.