City comparison
Newport News, VA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Portsmouth, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 22 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 Newport News, VA to Portsmouth, VA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Newport News has a population of 185,118, vs 97,384 in Portsmouth — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Newport News covers about 69 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 | Newport News | Portsmouth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,209/mo | $1,225/mo | 1.3% higher in Portsmouth |
| Median home value | $233,400 | $213,300 | 9.4% higher in Newport News |
| Median household income | $63,355 | $57,154 | 10.8% higher in Newport News |
| 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 Newport News, you'd need $100,051 in Portsmouth to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newport News and Portsmouth have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Newport News, you'd need about $80,041 in Portsmouth to keep the same standard of living.