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CITY

Norfolk

Virginia · 231,013 residents (2025 est.) · 53.3 sq mi
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Part of the Virginia Beach metro area
The short version

Norfolk is a city of 233,596 people in Virginia. Owners hold 46% of the housing stock. This skews young, with a median age of 32.7. Density works out to 4,385 people per square mile. That trails the Virginia median by roughly 29%. People stay put here: 80% were in the same home a year ago.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $66,109, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 80%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Norfolk

What changed most since 1990

  • Population261,229 → 233,596 (−11%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 33 cities and towns in the Virginia Beach metro

  • 22nd in household income$66,109
  • 14th in share with a bachelor's degree33.5%
  • 17th in home value$289,900
  • 3rd in diversity score83.0
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
233,596
Unchangedsince 2000
from 234,403 in 2000
231,013 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
4,385 / sq mi
Unchangedsince 2000
from 4,400 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
32.7
+10%since 2000
from 29.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
53.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
231K239K247K256K264K19902000201020202024Norfolk
2024234K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.4%(14,974)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(13,687)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.1%(11,925)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(15,318)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2411.2%(26,092)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3418.8%(43,854)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.7%(29,754)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.5%(22,210)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.8%(25,342)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.2%(19,178)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.7%(8,558)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(2,704)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,109
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,815 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,457
+127%since 2000
from $17,372 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.7%
+20.1 ptssince 2009
from 23.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.5%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 19.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.474
+2%since 2010
from 0.466 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$289,900
+80%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $88,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,321
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $538 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
46.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 45.5% in 2000
53.7% rent
Vacancy rate
8.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.25 people
−11%since 2009
from 2.52 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.7%
−10.6 ptssince 2009
from 36.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.8%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.4
−7%since 2009
from 4.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
52
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic47%(110,221)
Black43.6%(102,268)
Hispanic / Latino3.8%(8,915)
Asian2.8%(6,477)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic41.2%(96,188)
Black38.9%(90,856)
Hispanic / Latino10.1%(23,691)
Asian3.6%(8,508)
Other6.1%(14,353)
Diversity Score
83
+11%since 2009
from 75 in 2009
1990 – 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
Mexican3.8%(8,833)
Central American2.2%(5,067)
Puerto Rican2.1%(4,815)
Honduran1%(2,299)
Salvadoran0.6%(1,430)
South American0.6%(1,353)
Dominican0.4%(955)
Cuban0.4%(879)
Spaniard0.3%(785)
Guatemalan0.2%(557)
Colombian0.2%(369)
Peruvian0.2%(357)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(345)
Nicaraguan0.1%(316)
Venezuelan0.1%(232)
Ecuadorian0.1%(184)
Costa Rican0.1%(120)
Argentine0%(78)
Chilean0%(74)
Bolivian0%(38)
Uruguayan0%(16)
Asian origin
Filipino2%(4,780)
Chinese0.4%(837)
Asian Indian0.3%(758)
Vietnamese0.2%(423)
Korean0.1%(326)
Pakistani0.1%(242)
Thai0.1%(193)
Kazakh0.1%(163)
Japanese0.1%(155)
Bangladeshi0.1%(148)
Cambodian0%(104)
Taiwanese0%(74)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Malaysian0%(56)
Laotian0%(38)
Burmese0%(25)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(220)
Samoan0%(58)
Guamanian0%(43)
Tongan0%(33)
Ancestry
German8%(18,750)
English8%(18,658)
Irish7.7%(18,085)
American5.3%(12,423)
Italian3.4%(7,950)
Polish1.6%(3,665)
Scottish1.5%(3,570)
French1.3%(3,018)
West Indian1.2%(2,803)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(1,887)
Norwegian0.6%(1,389)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Jamaican0.6%(1,291)
Russian0.5%(1,174)
British0.5%(1,122)
Greek0.5%(1,120)
Welsh0.4%(1,014)
Swedish0.4%(966)
Dutch0.4%(965)
Arab0.4%(932)
Nigerian0.3%(664)
Portuguese0.3%(630)
Ukrainian0.3%(606)
Haitian0.2%(522)
Lebanese0.2%(433)
Austrian0.2%(413)
Czech0.2%(407)
Hungarian0.2%(399)
Ghanaian0.2%(355)
Danish0.2%(353)
Lithuanian0.1%(295)
Swiss0.1%(247)
Turkish0.1%(247)
Slovak0.1%(246)
Canadian0.1%(231)
Serbian0.1%(169)
Guyanese0.1%(161)
Iranian0.1%(161)
Syrian0.1%(158)
Finnish0.1%(147)
Ethiopian0.1%(135)
Belgian0.1%(133)
Moroccan0.1%(130)
Brazilian0%(93)
Romanian0%(89)
Bulgarian0%(65)
Croatian0%(63)
Kenyan0%(61)
Armenian0%(50)
Slovene0%(40)
Barbadian0%(36)
Iraqi0%(28)
Jordanian0%(22)
Israeli0%(15)
Somali0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.5%
+13.9 ptssince 2000
from 19.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.2%
+11.9 ptssince 2000
from 78.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.1%
+6.4 ptssince 2000
from 7.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.0 min
+71%since 2000
from 13.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.6%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 68.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.5%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.6%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
5.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
11.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.7%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2011
from 70.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 76.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.0%
+9.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Female
49.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Foreign born
7.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
14.2%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 17.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.1%
+2.9 ptssince 2012
from 12.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.1%
−8.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.8%
+9.9 ptssince 2017
from 78.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.2%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 92.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
80.5%
+5.0 ptssince 2020
from 75.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2016
from 89.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 5.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married48%(46,912)
Married40%(39,080)
Widowed2.3%(2,258)
Divorced9.6%(9,400)
Women 15+
Never married41%(39,087)
Married36.9%(35,233)
Widowed7.5%(7,108)
Divorced14.6%(13,932)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.1%
−8.4 ptssince 2013
from 17.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
45.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 44.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 10.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.2%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
5.4%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 4.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 65.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.3%
+5.6 ptssince 2020
from 34.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)50.9%(11,681)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)34.3%(7,880)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era20.6%(4,723)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.2%(268)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(79)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 22,955 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Norfolk, decade by decade

Norfolk population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990261,229$56,553$176,40516.8%67.5
2000234,403$57,956$160,85219.6%73.2
2010242,803$61,394$299,79823.7%77.5
2020238,005$64,270$261,55830.0%83.2
2024233,596$66,109$289,90033.5%83.0

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

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Neighborhoods in Norfolk

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Head to head

Compare Norfolk to nearby cities

NORFOLK VS
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Income$60,491−8%
Home value$246,900−15%
Population96,777−58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
NORFOLK VS
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Income$69,621+5%
Home value$245,700−15%
Population137,315−41%
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NORFOLK VS
Poquoson
Income$120,972+83%
Home value$400,300+38%
Population13,292−94%
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NORFOLK VS
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Income$110,956+68%
Home value$423,900+46%
Population8,436−96%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Norfolk, Virginia?

Norfolk, Virginia has about 233,596 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Norfolk, Virginia?

The typical household in Norfolk, Virginia earns about $66,109 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Norfolk, Virginia expensive?

In Norfolk, Virginia, the median home is worth about $289,900, and the typical rent is about $1,321 a month.

How educated are people in Norfolk, Virginia?

About 33.5% of adults age 25 and over in Norfolk, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Norfolk, Virginia?

About 16.5% of people in Norfolk, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Norfolk, Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Norfolk, Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 27,633 residents, a change of about -11 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 →