Portsmouth, Rhode Island | |
|---|---|
 Town Hall | |
 Location of Portsmouth in Newport County, Rhode Island | |
| Coordinates:41°36′N71°15′W / 41.600°N 71.250°W /41.600; -71.250 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Newport |
| Established | March 7, 1638 |
| Government | |
| • Town Council | Keith E. Hamilton (R), President Sondra A. Blank (D) David M. Gleason (R) Mary A. McDowell (I) Sharlene M. Patton (R) Juan Carlos Payero (D) David G. Reise (R) |
| • Town Clerk | Jennifer M. West |
| Area | |
• Total | 59.3 sq mi (153.6 km2) |
| • Land | 23.2 sq mi (60.1 km2) |
| • Water | 36.1 sq mi (93.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 203 ft (62 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,871 |
| • Density | 770/sq mi (297.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 02871 |
| Area code | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-57880[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1220065[2] |
| Website | www |
Portsmouth is a town inNewport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,871 at the2020 U.S. census. Portsmouth is the second-oldest municipality in Rhode Island, afterProvidence; it was one of the four colonies which merged to form theColony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, the others being Providence,Newport, andWarwick.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.3 square miles (154 km2), of which 23.2 square miles (60 km2) (39.14%) is land and 36.1 square miles (93 km2) (60.86%) is water. Most of its land area lies onAquidneck Island, which it shares withMiddletown andNewport. In addition, Portsmouth encompasses some smaller islands, includingPrudence Island,Patience Island,Hope Island andHog Island. Part of thecensus-designated place ofMelville lies within the town boundaries.
Portsmouth was settled in 1638 by a group of religious dissenters fromMassachusetts Bay Colony, includingDr. John Clarke,William Coddington, andAnne Hutchinson. It is named afterPortsmouth, Hampshire, England.Roger Williams convinced the settlers that they should go there instead of settling in theProvince of New Jersey, where they had first planned on going.
It was founded by the signers of thePortsmouth Compact. Its original name was Pocasset and it was officially named Portsmouth on May 12, 1639. It became part of theColony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (seeAquidneck Island) and eventually part of theState of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
ThePortsmouth School Department operates public schools:
Portsmouth is home to the Portsmouth Business Park, as well as a few small plazas with a variety of businesses. Portsmouth is also home to theRaytheon Missiles & Defense division. Adjacent to Raytheon is the Newport Car Museum which opened in 2017 and receives 50,000 visitors a year.[3]
Portsmouth is the headquarters ofUS Sailing, the national governing body of sailing in the U.S.[4] It is also home to the Newport International Polo Series held at Glen Farm.[5]
On September 21, 2017, plaques were unveiled byRoger Williams University, along withAl Gomes and Connie Watrous of Big Noise, at the Baypoint Inn & Conference Center honoring music iconsThe Beach Boys. The plaques were to commemorate the band's concert on September 22, 1971 in Portsmouth. The concert was the first-ever appearance of South AfricanRicky Fataar as an official member of the band and FilipinoBilly Hinsche as a touring member, essentially changing The Beach Boys' live and recording act's line-up into a multi-cultural group. Diversity is a credo of Roger Williams University, which is why they chose to celebrate this moment in the band's history.[6][7]
Jimmy Buffett performed at the Sunset Cove restaurant on July 2, 2023, which was his final public performance before his death on September 1 of that year.[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 1,560 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,684 | 7.9% | |
| 1810 | 1,795 | 6.6% | |
| 1820 | 1,645 | −8.4% | |
| 1830 | 1,727 | 5.0% | |
| 1840 | 1,706 | −1.2% | |
| 1850 | 1,833 | 7.4% | |
| 1860 | 2,048 | 11.7% | |
| 1870 | 2,003 | −2.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,979 | −1.2% | |
| 1890 | 1,949 | −1.5% | |
| 1900 | 2,105 | 8.0% | |
| 1910 | 2,681 | 27.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,590 | −3.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,969 | 14.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,683 | 24.0% | |
| 1950 | 6,578 | 78.6% | |
| 1960 | 8,251 | 25.4% | |
| 1970 | 12,521 | 51.8% | |
| 1980 | 14,257 | 13.9% | |
| 1990 | 16,857 | 18.2% | |
| 2000 | 17,149 | 1.7% | |
| 2010 | 17,389 | 1.4% | |
| 2020 | 17,871 | 2.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9][10] | |||
As of thecensus of 2020, there were 17,871 people and 7,280 households in the town. The population density was 776.2 inhabitants per square mile (299.7/km2). There were 8,610 housing units in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 89.05%White, 1.63%African American, 0.23%Native American, 1.72%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 1.21% fromother races, and 6.08% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.63% of the population.
There were 7,280 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% weremarried couples living together, 24.2% had a female householder with no spouse present and 12.3% had a male householder with no spouse present. 8.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town, the population age distribution is 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years.
The median income for a household in the town was $119,500, and the median income for a family was $151,063. Theper capita income for the town was $64,438. About 4.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
The2010 U.S. census[1] reported that there were 17,349 people, or an increase of 1.15%, residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 94.57%White, 1.35%African American, 1.58%Asian, 0.21% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.40% of some other race, and 1.86% of two or more races.
In the town, 22.98% of the population was under the age of 18 and 16.47% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up 51.03% of the population.
The 2000 U.S. Census[1] reported that there were 17,149 people, or an increase of 1.7%, residing in the town. There were also 6,758 households, and 4,865 families recorded. The population density was 739.0 inhabitants per square mile (285.3/km2). There were 7,386 housing units at an average density of 318.3 units per square mile (122.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.82%White, 1.17%African American, 0.19%Native American, 1.36%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.37% fromother races, and 1.05% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.45% of the population.
There were 6,758 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town, the population age distribution is 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $88,835, and the median income for a family was $108,577. Males had a median income of $46,297 versus $31,745 for females. The per capita income for the town was $46,161. About 2.0% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notes
Further reading
Municipalities and communities ofNewport County, Rhode Island,United States | ||
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