Photo: Vasiliymeshko · CC BY 4.0How is Portsmouth run?
Portsmouth’s city government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $0 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Portsmouth didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Portsmouth is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
One full-time city employee for every 80 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (19,744).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
No comparison or trend for Portsmouth yet
Every year of Portsmouth’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,222 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.18% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Portsmouth’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Portsmouth’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Portsmouth →
Who’s in charge in Portsmouth
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Portsmouth’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on portsmouthoh.org ↗.
Portsmouth City School District
Portsmouth’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,036 per pupil, $11,009 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Portsmouth voted in 2024
Official results for Portsmouth’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.4%3,539 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat39.9%2,378 votesOthers: 0.7% (39 votes).
Most votes in Portsmouth: Donald J Trump
Scioto County: Trump 73.7%, Harris 25.7% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Portsmouth’s 13,934 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Portsmouth: Bernie Moreno
Scioto County: Moreno 67.2%, Brown 29.3% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: David J Taylor
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Portsmouth, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 59.4% | 39.9% | 0.7% | 5,956 |
| Scioto County | 73.7% | 25.7% | 0.6% | 31,179 |
| Ohio | 55.1% | 43.9% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Portsmouth.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: portsmouthoh.org ↗
- 2Ohio HouseState representatives
- 3Ohio SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Portsmouth compares with the towns next door
Portsmouth’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 1 of the 4 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $86 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Clay Township | $86 | $1,213 |
| New Boston | estimate | $836 |
| Porter Township | estimate | $1,985 |
| Harrison Township | estimate | $1,155 |
| Portsmouth | estimate | $1,222 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Portsmouth’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Portsmouth’s government
How much does Portsmouth spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Portsmouth didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $0.
What is the property tax rate in Portsmouth?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,222 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see portsmouthoh.org.
Who runs Portsmouth’s government?
See portsmouthoh.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Portsmouth yet.
How did Portsmouth vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 59.4%, Kamala D Harris 39.9% (5,956 votes, official results). Scioto County: Trump 73.7%, Harris 25.7%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Portsmouth?
247 full-time and 7 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $13.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Portsmouth in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Terry Johnson) and State House District 90 (Justin Pizzulli). The House district also covers 52 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Portsmouth’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Portsmouth, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →