Home Value Trail

Portsmouth, VA home price history and building permits

Portsmouth cityVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NCVirginia

  • Price trail: Portsmouth city
  • FHFA annual index 1975 to 2025
  • Developmental index
  • Permits through

The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city. The line on this page is the index of Portsmouth city, the county of Portsmouth. The FHFA annual house price index for Portsmouth city increased by 83.7% from 2015 to 2025. Building permits in Portsmouth authorized 162 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026.

2015

The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city. These figures are for the index of Portsmouth city, the county of Portsmouth.

+83.7%

From 2015 to 2025, the FHFA annual all-transactions index for Portsmouth city increased by 83.7%.

From 2015 to 2025, the average change in each year is +6.3%, compounded.

Same span at each level: 2015 to 2025
AreaChangeBar
Portsmouth city+83.7%
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC+71.1%
Virginia+74.6%
United States+85.0%
Portsmouth city FHFA annual all-transactions index, 100 in 1975
  • Portsmouth city
  • United States, set to the same start
  • Recession (NBER dates)
  • Your span

This is the price trail of Portsmouth city, not of Portsmouth. The annual files of FHFA have no index for a city.

Index values for each year
FHFA annual all-transactions index for Portsmouth city, 1975 to 2025
YearIndexChange from the year before
2025932.87+3.9%
2024897.66+8.3%
2023829.17+7.1%
2022774.47+12.7%
2021687.22+12.1%
2020613.14+8.2%
2019566.84+3.1%
2018549.63+1.2%
2017543.16+4.8%
2016518.12+2.0%
2015507.95+0.5%
2014505.590.0%
2013505.59−1.0%
2012510.44−4.6%
2011535.11−8.7%
2010585.81−6.4%
2009626.16−6.3%
2008668.51−2.0%
2007682.02+6.8%
2006638.89+16.5%
2005548.32+23.7%
2004443.14+17.1%
2003378.36+7.4%
2002352.13+4.8%
2001335.93+6.3%
2000316.12+3.3%
1999306.05+2.4%
1998299.02+2.6%
1997291.58+2.1%
1996285.53+2.0%
1995280.05+2.8%
1994272.36−0.1%
1993272.57+0.5%
1992271.30+2.3%
1991265.33+0.3%
1990264.53+1.9%
1989259.60+2.7%
1988252.72+2.1%
1987247.57+12.0%
1986220.96+3.7%
1985213.05+4.8%
1984203.29+21.0%
1983168.06+20.3%
1982139.71+4.8%
1981133.36−9.3%
1980147.03+3.0%
1979142.77+15.5%
1978123.61+5.9%
1977116.72+12.9%
1976103.35+3.3%
1975100.00n/a

Each figure is the change of the FHFA annual all-transactions index, from the year that you pick to 2025. It is a change for the area. It is not the change in the value of your home, and it does not use the price that you paid.

The average for each year is a compounded annual change. The guide to values explains more.

When using the FHFA House Price Calculator, please note that it does not project the actual value of any particular house.

FHFA, about its own House Price Calculator: Federal Housing Finance Agency, House Price Index Datasets, HPI Calculator, copied on . The calculator of FHFA uses quarterly figures. For the states and the 100 largest metro areas it uses the purchase-only index. Its figures can differ from the figures here.

Since the last FHFA release

No recorded FHFA release changed a figure of Portsmouth city. The record of releases starts with the next FHFA release. FHFA releases recorded by this site

Same span, every level

Change in the FHFA annual index to 2025: Portsmouth city and the areas above it
Area1 year2024 to 20255 years2020 to 202510 years2015 to 202520 years2005 to 2025Since 20002000 to 2025Each yearaverage of 10 years
Portsmouth city+3.9%+52.1%+83.7%+70.1%+195.1%+6.3%
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC+4.7%+49.3%+71.1%+68.1%+195.8%+5.5%
Virginia+3.7%+48.7%+74.6%+70.8%+188.6%+5.7%
United States+2.8%+47.0%+85.0%+79.1%+158.3%+6.3%

The annual files of FHFA have no index for Portsmouth. The first row is the index of Portsmouth city.

Building permits in Portsmouth

In the 12 months to August 2026, building permits in Portsmouth authorized 162 housing units. That is 1.7 units for each 1,000 residents. In the 12 months before, permits authorized 223 units.

Housing units authorized by month, latest 24 months
  • Units in buildings with 1 unit
  • Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each month
Housing units authorized by building permits in Portsmouth, by month
MonthAll units1 unit2 or more units
Aug 2026000
Jul 2026330
Jun 2026660
May 202631526
Apr 2026550
Mar 202614140
Feb 202623230
Jan 202655352
Dec 2025330
Nov 202512120
Oct 2025880
Sep 2025220
Aug 2025550
Jul 202514140
Jun 202514140
May 202511110
Apr 202518144
Mar 2025880
Feb 202513130
Jan 2025712150
Dec 202411110
Nov 202425250
Oct 202422220
Sep 202411110
Housing units authorized in the 12 months to August 2026, by size of building
FigurePortsmouthPortsmouth cityVirginiaUnited States
All units16216237,5201,418,086
In buildings with 1 unit84 (52%)84 (52%)20,665 (55%)888,241 (63%)
In buildings with 2 units0044834,814
In buildings with 3 or 4 units0013017,298
In buildings with 5 or more units78 (48%)78 (48%)16,277 (43%)477,733 (34%)
Units for each 1,000 residents1.71.74.24.1
Change from the 12 months before−27.4%−27.4%+12.1%−0.1%
Housing units authorized by year, 1995 to 2025
  • Units in buildings with 1 unit
  • Units in buildings with 2 or more units
Units for each year
Housing units authorized by building permits in Portsmouth, by year
YearAll units1 unit2 or more units
202517912554
2024300188112
202373730
20221061060
20211961960
20202802800
201993930
20181371370
20171581580
20161241222
201594940
201415314112
201321987132
20121395584
20111531530
201066660
200985850
200833795242
2007392189203
20061931930
200522716859
2004379129250
2003378132246
20021531530
200122419430
20002132130
19992472470
19982532530
199730921396
1996331219112
199528523748

A permit authorizes construction. It does not show that the work started or that it is complete. For a place that does not report each month, the Census Bureau imputes the monthly figures.

Agency pages

  • Building Permits SurveyUS Census BureauThe survey of housing units that building permits authorize.
  • FHFA House Price IndexFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe index page of FHFA: data, tools and the release dates.
  • FHFA HPI CalculatorFederal Housing Finance AgencyThe calculator of FHFA. It works by quarter, for a state or a metro area.

Each link loaded on .

Cite this page

Home Value Trail. Portsmouth, VA home price history and building permits. https://homevaluetrail.com/city/va/portsmouth/. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey; Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for Portsmouth city. FHFA release of .

Where the figures come from

Building permits
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place files through August 2026, permit office 059000. County, state and national figures from the county and state files.
Price trail
FHFA annual house price index for Portsmouth city, 1975 to 2025. Release of March 31, 2026.
County of the place
The county code of the Building Permits Survey row, and the Census Bureau 2020 place by county file.
Residents
US Census Bureau, population estimates for 2025.

All files are works of the US government, in the public domain. To report an error, see Corrections.

Questions

What kinds of buildings have permits in Portsmouth?
In the 12 months to August 2026, 84 units are in buildings with one unit. 0 units are in buildings with two to four units. 78 units are in buildings with five or more units.
How does the count compare with the 12 months before?
Permits authorized 223 housing units in the 12 months before. Permits authorized 162 housing units in the 12 months to August 2026. The count decreased by 27.4% between the two periods.
How many units is that for each 1,000 residents?
Portsmouth has 1.7 units for each 1,000 residents. Portsmouth city has 1.7 units for each 1,000 residents. Virginia has 4.2 units for each 1,000 residents.
How many units have permits from 1995?
Permits in Portsmouth authorized 6,476 housing units from 1995 to 2025. The year with the most units is 2007, with 392.