City comparison
Hampton, VA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Portsmouth, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 17 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Hampton, VA to Portsmouth, VA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Hampton has a population of 137,217, vs 97,384 in Portsmouth — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Hampton covers about 51 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Portsmouth.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Hampton | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,255/mo | $1,225/mo | 2.4% higher in Hampton |
| Median home value | $219,800 | $213,300 | 3.0% higher in Hampton |
| Median household income | $64,430 | $57,154 | 12.7% higher in Hampton |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.0 | 90.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 98.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 98.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Hampton, you'd need $99,908 in Portsmouth to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Hampton and Portsmouth have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Hampton, you'd need about $79,927 in Portsmouth to keep the same standard of living.