PortsmouthIA
A town of 186, settled in 1882.
Is Portsmouth a good place to live?
Of the 141 Iowa towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Portsmouth. Portsmouth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
186 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Portsmouth: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Portsmouth, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Portsmouth.
Most of Portsmouth’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Portsmouth for work: only 1% work in town. 4.9% of Portsmouth residents live below the poverty line, against 11% in Iowa’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The average trip to work in Portsmouth is 23 minutes.
| Portsmouth | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Portsmouth has four seasons and pleasant summers
Portsmouth has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 12° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
More of Portsmouth’s households own their home than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
93% of Portsmouth households own their home, above both Iowa’s towns (70%) and U.S. towns (73%). Typical home values rose 8.1% in the year to September 2026. Portsmouth’s median rent is $769 a month.
| Portsmouth | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $769 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
How healthy Portsmouth is
Portsmouth beats the Iowa average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 21% of adults binge drink in Portsmouth.
| Portsmouth | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Portsmouth | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.3% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Portsmouth faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Portsmouth
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Portsmouth; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Portsmouth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
99% of working residents leave Portsmouth for work
Where Portsmouth’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Portsmouth
City in Iowa, United States
Portsmouth is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States. The population was 182 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,224 ft
- ZIP code
- 51565
Questions about Portsmouth
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Portsmouth, IA a good place to live?
Portsmouth has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.