Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, home to about 17,644 people across 23 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 02871 and 02872.
Homes sold for a median of $349 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Portsmouth. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Portsmouth’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)11 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Boston, MA51 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY154 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Portsmouth; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Portsmouth had 17,871 residents in the 2020 census, up 4% since 2000.
It’s the 20th largest of 39 towns in Rhode Island by population.
Newport County grew from 32,599 residents in 1900 to 85,643 in 2020.
Newport County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 49.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 38 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Tiverton, RI weather station (3 miles away).
32,182 jobs at 2,800 businesses in Newport County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
139 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Portsmouth’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 6 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 8 |
| Dentists | 12 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 14 |
| Mental health providers | 71 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 25 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (8 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (5 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1638.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Portsmouth. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melville SchoolPortsmouth | Pre-K–4 | 316 | Public | 2.9 mi |
| Howard Hathaway SchoolPortsmouth | K–4 | 409 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Portsmouth Middle SchoolPortsmouth | 5–8 | 604 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Portsmouth High SchoolPortsmouth | 9–12 | 785 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Philomena School of the Sacred HeartPortsmouth | Pre-K–8 | 376 | Roman Catholic | 1.9 mi |
| The Pennfield SchoolPortsmouth | Pre-K–8 | 127 | Nonsectarian | 4.9 mi |
| Portsmouth Abbey SchoolPortsmouth | 9–12 | 337 | Roman Catholic | 1.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.