Portsmouth: Best places to live / places to avoid

[TrueNorth]

I may be in the Portsmouth area for an extended period of time (6+ months).

Where are the places to consider living and the places to avoid?

I've heard the Portsmouth area is prone to crime and social problems.

Piketon is the closest town to the plant, but it's quite small (which I don't mind as long as the residents are reasonably friendly) and has a 30% poverty rate. (I don't actually care how much money people have but wonder if it might be a high-crime area.)

Waverly is several times bigger than Piketon (but still a good bit smaller than Portsmouth or Chillicothe) and still fairly close to the plant. It's the county seat and Wikipedia suggests it's a lot better off economically than Piketon.

The map shows that Portsmouth has different areas somewhat separate from each other; Portsmouth itself (which may break down into neighborhoods with different characteristics), West Portsmouth, Rosemount, New Boston and South Shore, KY.

Chillicothe looks interesting. It's more of a drive, though (as is Portsmouth).

Another possibility would renting a place in the countryside. Is this a good area to do that or is crime a problem in the rural areas?

Thanks for any insights.