The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Portsmouth City, VA: Crime Maps and Statistics

D-

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D+
Property Crime Grade	D-
Other Crime Grade	D

Which crimes are included?

$88.7 million

Cost of Crime™ for Portsmouth City, VA

In 2025, crime will cost $2,109 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Portsmouth City with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Portsmouth City, VA Safe?

The D- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Portsmouth City's combined rate is much higher than the norm. Portsmouth City sits in the 10th percentile, ahead of 10% of counties and behind 90%. The grade covers only Portsmouth City's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Portsmouth City is 52.12 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northwest part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 12 in the central areas to 1 in 34 in the northwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the east parts of Portsmouth City, VA report the most crime, about 851 cases per year. The west part reports the fewest, around 210 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Portsmouth City, VA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Portsmouth City for 2025 is $88,671,773, about $867 per resident and $2,109 per household. That equals 2.6% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 52.0%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 36.6%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.4%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Portsmouth City Compared to Other Counties?

Portsmouth City, VA:	$867
Roanoke City, VA:	$849
Loudoun County, VA:	$236
Virginia:	$432
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Portsmouth City is $867 per year, which is $403 more than the national average and $436 more than Virginia's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Portsmouth City:

In Roanoke City, VA, crime costs $849 per person, which is $18 less than in Portsmouth City.
In Loudoun County, VA, crime costs $236 per person, which is $631 less than in Portsmouth City

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Portsmouth City for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Portsmouth City	Cost per Portsmouth City Resident
Murder	$35.9 million	$351
Rape/Sexual Assault	$3.97 million	$39
Robbery	$1.98 million	$19
Assault	$10.4 million	$102
Kidnapping	$3.85 million	$38
Vehicle Theft	$5.63 million	$55
Burglary	$2.24 million	$22
Theft	$13.6 million	$133
Arson	$154,398	$2
Vandalism	$6.89 million	$67
Animal Cruelty	$169,763	$2
Drug Crimes	$3.18 million	$31
Identity Theft	$700,389	$7
Total Cost of Crime	$88,671,773	$867

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Portsmouth City, VA

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Portsmouth City totals $259,739,156 ($2,540 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $348,410,929 ($3,407 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The northwest part of the county holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Portsmouth City has 24, do the same, and of Portsmouth City's 102,256 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Portsmouth City, VA at ISP Reports.

Portsmouth City Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Portsmouth City residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	3.552
Robbery	0.6150
Rape	0.6402
Murder	0.1866
Total Violent Crime	4.994 (D+)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	25.73
Vehicle Theft	3.556
Burglary	2.416
Arson	0.0625
Total Property Crime	31.77 (D-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.6205
Drug Crimes	4.200
Vandalism	9.433
Identity Theft	0.8849
Animal Cruelty	0.2244
Total "Other" Rate	15.36 (D)

Individual Portsmouth City Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in Portsmouth City is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to Portsmouth City.

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Chesapeake City, VA	B-	B+	C+
Norfolk City, VA	D+	C+	D
Suffolk City, VA	B-	B-	C+
Virginia Beach City, VA	B-	A+	C+
Hampton City, VA	D-	B-	D-
Isle of Wight County, VA	A-	A-	B+
Newport News City, VA	D+	C-	D
Poquoson City, VA	A	A+	A
York County, VA	B+	A+	B-
Gates County, NC	C+	C+	C+

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Portsmouth City is higher versus other counties of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in counties with comparable overall population in the county‘s boundaries.

Similar County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Madison County, KY	B+	A	A
Rogers County, OK	B	B	B
Rockingham County, NC	C+	C+	C+
Rockdale County, GA	B-	C+	C+
Roanoke County, VA	B	A	A
Roanoke City, VA	F	D+	D+
Putnam County, NY	A+	B+	B+
Mendocino County, CA	D	D-	D-
Maury County, TN	B-	C	C
Marshall County, AL	C+	B	B

Considering only the crime rate, Portsmouth City is less safe than the Virginia state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Portsmouth City, VA average SchoolGrade of C+, with 39% actual proficiency versus 30% projected; overall, schools greatly exceed expectations. See Portsmouth City schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.