Portsmouth City, VA Violent Crime Rates and Maps

D-

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

Which crimes are included?

$52.2 million

Cost of Crime™ for Portsmouth City, VA

In 2025, violent crime will cost $1,242 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Portsmouth City with the least violent crime and red marks the most, weighted by the type and severity of each offense. Violent crime concentrates where people gather after dark, near nightlife, bars, and transit, more than on residential streets. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read those hot spots.

The D+ grade reflects how often assault, robbery, rape, and murder occur in Portsmouth City against the average US county, where the rate is higher than the norm. Portsmouth City sits in the 27th percentile for violent-crime safety, ahead of 27% of counties and behind 73%. The grade covers only Portsmouth City's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The violent crime rate in Portsmouth City is 4.994 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 105 in the east areas to 1 in 357 in the northwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the east parts of Portsmouth City, VA report the most violent crime, about 102 cases per year. The west part reports the fewest, around 19 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Portsmouth City, VA

The tangible cost of violent crime in Portsmouth City is projected at $52,233,352 for 2025, about $511 per resident and $1,242 per household. That equals 1.5% of the median household income, and it counts only the bills that can be totaled: emergency care, lost wages, and the justice response. The larger cost, the harm to victims, comes later on this page. These tangible costs split into:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 37.2%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 50.1%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.6%

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

Portsmouth City, VA:	$511
Newport News City, VA:	$447
Fairfax County, VA:	$103
Virginia:	$238
USA:	$258

The tangible cost of violent crime is $511 per resident each year in Portsmouth City, which is $252 more than the national average and $273 more than Virginia's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Portsmouth City:

In Newport News City, VA, crime costs $447 per person, which is $64 less than in Portsmouth City.
In Fairfax County, VA, crime costs $103 per person, which is $407 less than in Portsmouth City

2025 Projected Violent Crime Cost by Type

The table below breaks the violent-crime total into its four offenses for Portsmouth City, 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
Total Cost of Violent Crime	$52,233,352	$511

The Human Cost of Violent Crime in Portsmouth City, VA

Much of what violent crime costs never reaches a bill. Pain, trauma, and lost quality of life for victims and their families typically outweigh the medical and legal totals above. Research-based methods put a figure on that harm so it can be compared across places. By those methods, the human cost of violent crime in Portsmouth City totals $259,739,156 ($2,540 per resident). Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $311,972,508 ($3,051 per resident). This human toll is what sets violent crime apart from property crime in Portsmouth City, VA, where the loss is mostly replaceable property. All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Violent Crime Maps

Violent crime rates are measured per resident, so places packed with visitors after dark read high even when few people live there. Bars, clubs, event venues, and transit hubs draw the crowds where assaults and robberies cluster. How strongly this shows on the map depends on the commercial base; the northwest part of the county has more retail establishments. A red block full of bars and venues does not mean the homes around it are dangerous.

Transit stations show the same effect: large moving crowds, few residents, so per-capita violent crime reads high. Before judging a residential street, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total count of incidents, and note what draws crowds nearby.

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

Portsmouth City Violent Crime Breakdown

The table below shows which offenses feed the Violent Crime Grade above, each as crimes per 1,000 Portsmouth City residents in a standard year.

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

Individual Portsmouth City Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of violent 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 violent 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 violent crime rate, Portsmouth City is less safe than the Virginia state average and less safe than the national average.

About the Data

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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.