Rent by ZIP code in Portsmouth
| ZIP code | County | Typical rent | vs city median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23703 | Portsmouth City | $1,902 | +18% |
| 23701 | Portsmouth City | $1,848 | +15% |
| 23704 | Portsmouth City | $1,611 | 0% |
| 23702 | Portsmouth City | $1,597 | -1% |
| 23707 | Portsmouth City | $1,511 | -6% |
Rent by bedroom count in Portsmouth
Zillow's index above blends every unit size into one number. For a bedroom level view, these are HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Portsmouth city. They include utilities and sit near the 40th percentile of the market, so treat them as the low side of what a typical unit lists for. Portsmouth city uses Small Area FMRs, and the two bedroom figure runs from $1,320 to $1,590 depending on the Portsmouth ZIP code.
| Unit size | FY2027 Fair Market Rent | Change from FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,470 | -1.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,488 | -1.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,667 | -2.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,298 | -3.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,710 | -3.1% |
Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Updates when HUD publishes a new fiscal year.
Is rent going up or down in Portsmouth?
Typical rent across Portsmouth City is $1,642 as of September 2026. That is up 5.5% from a year earlier and up 36.9% over five years.
| Year | Typical rent, Portsmouth City | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,231 | +12.2% |
| 2022 | $1,349 | +9.7% |
| 2023 | $1,409 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $1,492 | +5.9% |
| 2025 | $1,575 | +5.5% |
| 2026 (through September) | $1,642 | +4.3% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index for the county, all home types, last published month of each year. Each row is compared with the end of the year before it.
Portsmouth rent questions
- What is the average rent in Portsmouth, VA?
- Typical asking rent in Portsmouth is $1,611 a month as of September 2026, across 5 ZIP codes. By ZIP code it runs from $1,511 to $1,902.
- How much is rent for a 2 bedroom in Portsmouth?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in Portsmouth city is $1,667 a month including utilities. A one bedroom is $1,488 and a three bedroom is $2,298. Fair Market Rent is set near the 40th percentile, so a typical unit lists somewhat higher.
- Is rent going up or down in Portsmouth?
- Rent is rising. Typical rent in Portsmouth City is $1,642 as of September 2026, up 5.5% from a year earlier.
- What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in Portsmouth?
- ZIP 23707 has the lowest typical asking rent in Portsmouth at $1,511 a month, compared with $1,611 for the city overall.
- How much income do you need to rent in Portsmouth?
- Most landlords look for gross income of about three times the rent. At the typical Portsmouth rent of $1,611, that is about $4,833 a month, or $57,996 a year. This is a common screening rule of thumb, and individual landlords set their own.
How to use these numbers
These are Zillow Observed Rent Index values, a smoothed measure of typical asking rent for single family homes, condos, and apartments in each ZIP code. They describe what units are listed for, not what any specific unit will get. Condition, bedroom count, and the exact block all move the number.
If you are underwriting a purchase, use the ZIP figure rather than the city median, and then verify against live listings for the same bedroom count before you commit. Portsmouth sits in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC metro area.