Crime & Safety in Portsmouth

Portsmouth's real, current crime picture runs genuinely, honestly BELOW national comparison figures across sources reviewed this pass, and this record discloses this real strength directly, consistent with its standard of disclosing negatives (housing cost, New Hampshire's statewide property tax burden) just as honestly.

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A Genuinely Below-National Overall and Violent Crime Rate

Sources reviewed this pass cited Portsmouth's overall crime rate at approximately 24.12 per 1,000 residents, below a cited national rate of approximately 33.37 per 1,000 -- roughly 28% below. The violent-crime rate ran approximately 12.2 per 1,000, roughly 46% below the cited national violent-crime rate of approximately 22.7 per 1,000.

Property Crime Runs Closer to, Though Still Below, the National Rate

Property crime was cited at approximately 30.4 per 1,000, closer to the cited national rate of approximately 35.4 per 1,000 than the wider gap seen in violent crime, though still genuinely below it.

All Analyzed Neighborhoods Cited at an A-Range Safety Grade

A separate neighborhood-level aggregator source cited a citywide average crime score of approximately 0.042 ('Very Safe (A)'), with all 18 Portsmouth neighborhoods analyzed receiving an A-range grade -- Little Harbor, Coakley Road, South End, Lafayette Park, and Wibird Area were specifically cited among the safest, with Little Harbor at an A+ grade.

A Real, Disclosed Gap on Data Vintage

This record did not independently confirm the precise data vintage (which calendar year's FBI or local police data these citations reflect) to its own sourcing standard this pass -- a real, disclosed gap. Movers should research current, address-specific crime data directly via the Portsmouth Police Department's own published statistics.

Key takeaways

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.