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METRO AREA

Virginia Beach Metro

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · 18 counties · 1,797,213 residents (2025 est.) · 3,202 sq mi
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The short version

Virginia Beach is a metro area of 1,787,235 people. That puts it in the top 2% of US metro areas for household income. 7% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Growth has run 12% since 2000, or 193,464 more people. There are 558 people per square mile. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $338,965.

At a glance
Average income
median household income $84,869, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 37.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Virginia Beach

Among the 12 metro and micro areas based in Virginia

  • 5th in household income$84,869
  • 4th in share with a bachelor's degree35.8%
  • 5th in home value$338,965
  • 1st in diversity score74.0
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,787,235
+12%since 2000
from 1,593,771 in 2000
1,797,213 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
558 / sq mi
+12%since 2000
from 498 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
37.7
+12%since 2000
from 33.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
3,202 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.4M1.5M1.6M1.7M1.8M19902000201020202024Virginia Beach
20241.8M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(105,924)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(108,992)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(112,058)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(114,365)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.1%(126,490)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.7%(262,763)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.6%(243,021)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.1%(198,895)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(225,765)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.7%(173,246)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.9%(86,856)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(28,860)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$84,869
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,124 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,049
+117%since 2000
from $20,277 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
54.5%
+19.5 ptssince 2009
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.438
+6%since 2010
from 0.411 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services6.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
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%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$338,965
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $108,441 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,504
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $621 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 63.3% in 2000
36.3% rent
Vacancy rate
7.1%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.45 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
24.5%
−8.4 ptssince 2009
from 32.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.0%
+4.3 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.0
−3%since 2009
from 4.1 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
38
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic61.1%(974,244)
Black30.7%(488,970)
Hispanic / Latino3.1%(49,144)
Asian2.7%(42,452)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic52.6%(939,372)
Black29.1%(519,199)
Hispanic / Latino8%(143,547)
Asian4%(71,493)
Other6.4%(113,624)
Diversity Score
74
+14%since 2009
from 65 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
38
−1%since 2020
from 39 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.7%(47,470)
Puerto Rican2.1%(38,374)
Central American1.2%(20,980)
South American0.7%(13,071)
Salvadoran0.3%(6,020)
Honduran0.4%(5,813)
Cuban0.3%(5,753)
Spaniard0.3%(5,429)
Dominican0.3%(4,357)
Guatemalan0.2%(4,189)
Colombian0.2%(3,445)
Panamanian0.2%(3,226)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(2,608)
Ecuadorian0.2%(2,282)
Venezuelan0.1%(1,882)
Nicaraguan0.1%(1,319)
Argentine0.1%(837)
Chilean0.1%(757)
Bolivian0%(617)
Paraguayan0%(202)
Uruguayan0%(63)
Asian origin
Filipino2%(34,729)
Asian Indian0.5%(8,012)
Chinese0.5%(7,971)
Vietnamese0.3%(5,671)
Korean0.3%(5,642)
Japanese0.1%(1,989)
Pakistani0.1%(1,567)
Thai0.1%(1,295)
Kazakh0.1%(746)
Cambodian0%(608)
Taiwanese0%(566)
+ 9 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(375)
Laotian0%(328)
Burmese0%(279)
Hmong0%(159)
Sri Lankan0%(141)
Malaysian0%(128)
Indonesian0%(108)
Mongolian0%(102)
Uzbek0%(64)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.2%(2,867)
Chamorro0.1%(1,393)
Samoan0.1%(1,309)
Marshallese0.1%(204)
Guamanian0%(137)
Fijian0%(45)
Tongan0%(33)
Ancestry
English11.4%(203,458)
German9.2%(165,281)
Irish8.7%(155,771)
American7.5%(133,598)
Italian4.1%(72,598)
Subsaharan African1.9%(33,808)
Scottish1.9%(33,309)
Polish1.7%(31,141)
French1.6%(28,316)
West Indian1%(17,338)
Scotch-Irish1%(17,233)
Norwegian0.6%(10,220)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.6%(10,207)
Swedish0.6%(10,040)
Welsh0.5%(8,610)
Jamaican0.5%(8,324)
British0.4%(7,814)
Greek0.4%(7,299)
French Canadian0.4%(7,256)
Arab0.4%(7,058)
Russian0.4%(6,875)
Hungarian0.3%(4,538)
Portuguese0.2%(4,221)
Nigerian0.3%(4,164)
Ukrainian0.2%(4,129)
Czech0.2%(3,343)
Danish0.2%(3,300)
Haitian0.2%(3,263)
Swiss0.1%(2,570)
Canadian0.1%(2,511)
Austrian0.1%(2,475)
Slovak0.1%(2,399)
Lithuanian0.1%(2,330)
Lebanese0.1%(2,096)
Turkish0.1%(1,937)
Ethiopian0.1%(1,697)
Finnish0.1%(1,595)
Romanian0.1%(1,405)
Ghanaian0.1%(1,384)
Moroccan0.1%(1,344)
Iranian0.1%(1,239)
Belgian0.1%(945)
Egyptian0.1%(915)
Brazilian0.1%(902)
Croatian0.1%(869)
Syrian0%(793)
Serbian0%(759)
Armenian0%(758)
Guyanese0%(603)
Barbadian0%(506)
Bulgarian0%(461)
Iraqi0%(459)
Kenyan0%(381)
Slovene0%(312)
Latvian0%(257)
Australian0%(243)
Israeli0%(230)
Macedonian0%(120)
Jordanian0%(54)
Somali0%(26)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
35.8%
+12.2 ptssince 2000
from 23.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.0%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 84.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.3%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.9 min
+60%since 2000
from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.4%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 79.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.2%
+7.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 7.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.2%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 68.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 75.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.3%
+8.0 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
6.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
14.9%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 18.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.0%
+3.2 ptssince 2012
from 10.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.7%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.8%
+10.0 ptssince 2017
from 81.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.1%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 93.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
85.5%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 83.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
90.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 91.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 3.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37%(262,555)
Married51.4%(364,421)
Widowed2.8%(19,597)
Divorced8.9%(63,059)
Women 15+
Never married31.5%(236,391)
Married47.4%(355,866)
Widowed8.1%(60,915)
Divorced13%(97,457)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.7%
−5.2 ptssince 2013
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
51.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 53.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 12.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.2%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 16.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.1%
+4.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
5.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 4.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.4%
−2.8 ptssince 2020
from 75.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.9%
+5.7 ptssince 2020
from 31.2% 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)45.5%(88,555)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)41.6%(80,904)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era22.4%(43,635)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2%(3,940)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(865)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 194,678 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

Virginia Beach, decade by decade

Virginia Beach population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
19901,464,598$74,001$204,94519.7%55.3
20001,593,771$78,557$197,54123.6%66.2
20101,693,860$84,132$353,96627.4%71.6
20201,780,059$85,381$308,93533.0%78.7
20241,787,235$84,869$338,96535.8%74.0

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.

In this metro

Largest cities

Virginia BeachCENTRAL453,737ChesapeakeCENTRAL255,332NorfolkCENTRAL231,013Newport NewsCENTRAL183,230Hampton137,315Suffolk104,699PortsmouthCENTRAL96,777Williamsburg15,861Poquoson13,292Gloucester Point11,109Smithfield9,112Carrollton8,436Moyock5,684Bethel Manor4,393Gloucester Courthouse3,336Windsor2,947Grandy2,245Benns Church1,813Camden1,115Rushmere1,033Mathews941Camptown834Coinjock543Gwynn514Carrsville363Claremont310Gatesville260Dendron259Sunbury251South Mills230

The 30 most populous of 33 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

18 component counties

Virginia BeachCENTRAL453,737ChesapeakeCENTRAL255,332NorfolkCENTRAL231,013Newport NewsCENTRAL183,230HamptonCENTRAL137,315Suffolk104,699PortsmouthCENTRAL96,777James City County83,326York CountyCENTRAL71,374Isle of Wight CountyCENTRAL41,321Gloucester CountyCENTRAL40,097Currituck County33,158Williamsburg15,861PoquosonCENTRAL13,292Camden County11,315Gates County10,234Mathews County8,529Surry County6,603
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Virginia Beach

Jacksonville
Pop 1,785,500
Providence
Pop 1,708,161
Indianapolis
Pop 2,205,695
Columbus
Pop 2,242,028
Places similar to Virginia Beach
Head to head

Compare Virginia Beach side by side

VIRGINIA BEACH VS
Jacksonville
Income$81,763−4%
Home value$342,382+1%
Population1,785,500−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
VIRGINIA BEACH VS
Providence
Income$87,204+3%
Home value$426,358+26%
Population1,708,161−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
VIRGINIA BEACH VS
Indianapolis
Income$83,841−1%
Home value$270,686−20%
Population2,205,695+23%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
VIRGINIA BEACH VS
Columbus
Income$84,300−1%
Home value$300,581−11%
Population2,242,028+25%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC has about 1,787,235 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

The typical household in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC earns about $84,869 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC expensive?

In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, the median home is worth about $338,965, and the typical rent is about $1,504 a month.

How educated are people in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

About 35.8% of adults age 25 and over in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?

About 10.9% of people in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC live below the federal poverty line.

Has Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC grown since 1990?

Yes, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC has grown since 1990. The population has added about 322,637 residents, a change of about 22 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: population, income & housing data · CensusEasy