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CITY

Chesapeake

Virginia · 255,332 residents (2025 est.) · 338.456 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#92Largest by populationof 4,896255,332
The short version

Chesapeake is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $95,373. Population has grown 27% since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $378,400. It sits in the top 10% of US cities for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 74%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
252,583
+27%since 2000
from 199,184 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
746 / sq mi
+15%since 2009
from 648 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
37.9
+9%since 2000
from 34.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:255,332 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
142K172K202K232K263K1990201020202024Chesapeake
2024253K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.1%(15,300)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(16,714)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.2%(18,098)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(16,629)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.7%(14,473)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.5%(34,146)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415%(37,911)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.1%(30,668)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(31,847)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.1%(23,021)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844%(10,161)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.4%(3,615)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$95,373
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,743 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,985
+115%since 2000
from $20,949 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
60.7%
+16.6 ptssince 2009
from 44.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.4%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.420
+7%since 2010
from 0.393 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$378,400
+74%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $119,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,586
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $642 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
74.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2000
from 74.9% in 2000
25.6% rent
Vacancy rate
3.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
24.4%
−11.1 ptssince 2009
from 35.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.6%
+7.8 ptssince 2009
from 46.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.0
+1%since 2009
from 3.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
45
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Chesapeake on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic65.9%(131,200)
Black28.3%(56,442)
Hispanic / Latino2%(4,076)
Asian1.8%(3,638)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic53.8%(135,855)
Black28.5%(71,944)
Hispanic / Latino7.7%(19,408)
Asian3.8%(9,654)
Other6.2%(15,722)
Diversity Score
77
+20%since 2009
from 65 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.5%(6,377)
Puerto Rican2.1%(5,331)
Central American1.1%(2,799)
South American0.7%(1,756)
Cuban0.4%(919)
Salvadoran0.3%(881)
Ecuadorian0.3%(728)
Guatemalan0.3%(715)
Spaniard0.2%(544)
Colombian0.2%(509)
Honduran0.2%(487)
Panamanian0.2%(461)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.2%(430)
Peruvian0.2%(380)
Nicaraguan0.1%(173)
Chilean0%(49)
Bolivian0%(41)
Asian origin
Filipino2%(5,117)
Korean0.4%(1,047)
Vietnamese0.3%(774)
Chinese0.3%(750)
Asian Indian0.3%(718)
Pakistani0.1%(353)
Japanese0.1%(338)
Thai0.1%(144)
Kazakh0%(75)
Hmong0%(63)
Taiwanese0%(36)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(18)
Nepalese0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(250)
Samoan0%(77)
Ancestry
English11.6%(29,366)
Irish9.5%(24,081)
German9.3%(23,382)
American7%(17,599)
Italian4.2%(10,488)
Polish1.8%(4,558)
Scottish1.7%(4,285)
French1.7%(4,239)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(2,735)
West Indian0.8%(2,047)
Norwegian0.7%(1,680)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
French Canadian0.5%(1,381)
Dutch0.5%(1,304)
Swedish0.5%(1,303)
Welsh0.5%(1,182)
Greek0.4%(1,121)
British0.4%(889)
Jamaican0.3%(816)
Nigerian0.3%(786)
Hungarian0.3%(755)
Russian0.3%(723)
Portuguese0.3%(708)
Haitian0.3%(693)
Arab0.3%(657)
Ukrainian0.2%(587)
Lithuanian0.2%(518)
Danish0.2%(447)
Canadian0.2%(402)
Swiss0.2%(399)
Slovak0.2%(386)
Romanian0.1%(375)
Finnish0.1%(328)
Czech0.1%(305)
Lebanese0.1%(269)
Austrian0.1%(232)
Ghanaian0.1%(225)
Brazilian0.1%(209)
Kenyan0.1%(209)
Croatian0.1%(179)
Egyptian0.1%(157)
Bulgarian0.1%(136)
Barbadian0.1%(134)
Ethiopian0.1%(130)
Belgian0%(102)
Armenian0%(94)
Turkish0%(89)
Iranian0%(88)
Serbian0%(47)
Syrian0%(42)
Moroccan0%(39)
Latvian0%(26)
Guyanese0%(21)
Slovene0%(9)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.9%
+12.2 ptssince 2000
from 24.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.2%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 85.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.4%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 8.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.8 min
+67%since 2000
from 15.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.7%
−9.5 ptssince 2009
from 85.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.1%
+9.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.9%
−1.1 ptssince 2011
from 6.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.8%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 69.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
13.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.8%
−20.7 ptssince 2009
from 67.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.5% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.5% in 2009
Foreign born
5.8%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
15.6%
−30.3 ptssince 2009
from 45.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.0%
+3.1 ptssince 2012
from 9.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.8%
−84.4 ptssince 2013
from 90.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.6%
+6.4 ptssince 2017
from 86.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
91.6%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 92.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 3.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.9%(32,398)
Married56.6%(55,656)
Widowed2.3%(2,245)
Divorced8.2%(8,096)
Women 15+
Never married28.2%(29,382)
Married52.1%(54,216)
Widowed7.7%(7,962)
Divorced12%(12,516)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Explore

Neighborhoods in Chesapeake

Butts StationDeep Creek NorthDeep Creek SouthGreat BridgeGreat Bridge EastGreenbrier EastGreenbrier WestIndian RiverPleasant Grove WestSouth NorfolkWestern Branch NorthWestern Branch SouthNeighborhoods in Chesapeake
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Head to head

Compare Chesapeake to nearby cities

CHESAPEAKE VS
Portsmouth
Income$60,491−37%
Home value$246,900−35%
Population96,777−62%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESAPEAKE VS
Virginia Beach
Income$92,968−3%
Home value$382,500+1%
Population453,737+78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESAPEAKE VS
Norfolk
Income$66,109−31%
Home value$289,900−23%
Population231,013−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHESAPEAKE VS
Suffolk
Income$92,666−3%
Home value$347,400−8%
Population104,699−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chesapeake, Virginia?

Chesapeake, Virginia has about 252,583 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chesapeake, Virginia?

The typical household in Chesapeake, Virginia earns about $95,373 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chesapeake, Virginia expensive?

In Chesapeake, Virginia, the median home is worth about $378,400, and the typical rent is about $1,586 a month.

How educated are people in Chesapeake, Virginia?

About 36.9% of adults age 25 and over in Chesapeake, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chesapeake, Virginia?

About 9.4% of people in Chesapeake, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chesapeake, Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Chesapeake, Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 100,607 residents, a change of about 66 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →