CensusEasy
CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Suffolk

Virginia · 52,141 residents · 399 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Virginia Beach metro area
Compare
The short version

Suffolk is home to 52,141 people in Virginia. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That trails the Virginia median by roughly 22%. There are 11,536 fewer people here than in 2000. Median home value sits at $70,300. The poverty rate is 17.3%, above the 13.2% national rate.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.6
US median: 33.0
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 11%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
52,141
−18%vs 2000
vs 63,677 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
33.6
−7%vs 2000
vs 36.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
399 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
47K61K75K89K103K19902000201020202024Suffolk
202499K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.7%(4,016)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.8%(4,063)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.4%(3,837)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.9%(3,594)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.8%(3,047)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.8%(8,760)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.2%(7,406)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5411.3%(5,886)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.1%(4,769)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748%(4,177)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.1%(2,162)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.8%(424)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$26,125
−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $41,115 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$11,831
−37%vs 2000
vs $18,836 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
17.3%
+4.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$70,300
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $104,500 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$376
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $506 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
67.7%
−4.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 72.2% in 2000
32.3% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic53.3%(33,940)
Black43.2%(27,524)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(809)
Asian0.8%(487)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic54.7%(28,532)
Black44.5%(23,181)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(293)
Asian0.3%(143)
Other0.5%(285)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.7%(1,662)
Puerto Rican1.4%(1,426)
Guatemalan0.4%(397)
Dominican0.3%(308)
Panamanian0.1%(138)
Salvadoran0.1%(134)
Honduran0.1%(133)
Spaniard0.1%(110)
Cuban0.1%(100)
Nicaraguan0.1%(97)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(90)
Peruvian0.1%(55)
Colombian0.1%(52)
Uruguayan0%(47)
Bolivian0%(37)
Asian origin
Filipino0.4%(385)
Asian Indian0.3%(340)
Vietnamese0.3%(331)
Chinese0.3%(322)
Pakistani0.2%(169)
Korean0.1%(117)
Thai0.1%(68)
Japanese0%(29)
Nepalese0%(17)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(30)
Chamorro0%(23)
Ancestry
English10.3%(10,166)
German7.5%(7,407)
American7.1%(7,038)
Irish6.3%(6,216)
Italian2.6%(2,615)
Polish1.4%(1,398)
Scottish1.3%(1,301)
French1.1%(1,095)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(743)
Jamaican0.7%(663)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.7%(659)
Dutch0.5%(525)
Welsh0.5%(504)
Norwegian0.4%(408)
Arab0.4%(405)
British0.3%(339)
Russian0.3%(280)
Greek0.3%(259)
Portuguese0.3%(254)
Swiss0.2%(153)
Czech0.1%(132)
Nigerian0.1%(128)
Hungarian0.1%(126)
Egyptian0.1%(121)
Haitian0.1%(114)
Finnish0.1%(101)
Ukrainian0.1%(98)
Austrian0.1%(93)
Lebanese0.1%(85)
Ghanaian0.1%(85)
Danish0.1%(73)
Palestinian0.1%(71)
Croatian0.1%(71)
Canadian0.1%(63)
Guyanese0.1%(61)
Slovak0.1%(55)
Syrian0.1%(50)
Ethiopian0.1%(50)
Armenian0%(31)
Belgian0%(30)
Iranian0%(24)
Serbian0%(24)
Moroccan0%(21)
Brazilian0%(21)
Romanian0%(19)
Barbadian0%(16)
Turkish0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
12.3%
−5.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 17.3% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
63.9%
−12.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 76.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
3.6%
−2.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 5.6% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.5 min
+27%vs 2000
vs 18.4 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married34.5%(13,183)
Married54.8%(20,959)
Widowed2.4%(923)
Divorced8.3%(3,181)
Women 15+
Never married30.9%(12,737)
Married50.1%(20,678)
Widowed7.8%(3,237)
Divorced11.2%(4,628)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
6.4%
−4.0 ptssince 2013
from 10.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 55.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 11.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
17.3%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
5.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 3.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 75.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.2%
+4.8 ptssince 2020
from 31.4% 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)48.8%(5,426)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)43.5%(4,842)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era21%(2,333)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0.9%(104)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(6)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 11,128 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Suffolk

Plantation
Pop 99,183
Elgin
Pop 115,476
Davie
Pop 110,851
Riverview
Pop 113,697
Places similar to Suffolk
Head to head

Compare Suffolk to nearby cities

SUFFOLK VS
Franklin
Income$63,245+142%
Home value$256,600+265%
Population8,478−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK VS
Carrollton
Income$110,956+325%
Home value$423,900+503%
Population8,436−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK VS
Chesapeake
Income$95,373+265%
Home value$378,400+438%
Population255,332+144%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK VS
Portsmouth
Income$60,491+132%
Home value$246,900+251%
Population96,777−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Suffolk, Virginia?

Suffolk, Virginia has about 52,141 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Suffolk, Virginia?

The typical household in Suffolk, Virginia earns about $26,125 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Suffolk, Virginia expensive?

In Suffolk, Virginia, the median home is worth about $70,300, and the typical rent is about $376 a month.

How educated are people in Suffolk, Virginia?

About 12.3% of adults age 25 and over in Suffolk, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Suffolk, Virginia?

About 17.3% of people in Suffolk, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
Virginia

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

How we source and harmonize this data →