About Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Rhode Island. With a population of 17,313 people and three constituent neighborhoods, Portsmouth is the 20th largest community in Rhode Island.

Housing costs in Portsmouth are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don’t compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Rhode Island.

Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Portsmouth is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Portsmouth is a town of professionals, sales and office workers, and managers. There are especially a lot of people living in Portsmouth who work in management occupations (11.98%), sales jobs (10.82%), and office and administrative support (10.20%).