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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Virginia Beach Metro

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · 18 counties · 1,780,059 residents · 3,202 sq mi
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The short version

Virginia Beach is a metro area of 1,780,059 people. 7% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Headcount has barely moved since 2000. Median household income is $70,444, close to the national figure. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $254,889. 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 37.5
US median: 38.8
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,780,059
+12%since 2000
from 1,593,771 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
556 / sq mi
+12%since 2000
from 498 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
37.5
+12%since 2000
from 33.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
3,202 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.4M1.5M1.6M1.7M1.8M19902000201020202024Virginia Beach
20241.8M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.8%(102,998)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(107,136)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(110,720)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.6%(117,799)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.7%(137,239)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.6%(259,330)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.5%(221,784)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.5%(204,307)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.4%(238,907)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.4%(168,068)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.6%(81,582)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.7%(30,189)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,444
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,124 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,086
+78%since 2000
from $20,277 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
45.9%
+11.0 ptssince 2009
from 35.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.2%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8.8%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services6%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration3.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$254,889
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $108,441 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,222
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $621 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
60.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2000
from 63.3% in 2000
39.1% rent
Persons per household
2.54 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.6
−12%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic52.3%(931,227)
Black29.5%(525,601)
Hispanic / Latino7.6%(134,449)
Asian4.1%(72,509)
Other4.7%(83,282)
Segregation Score
39
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
Mexican2.4%(41,313)
Puerto Rican1.9%(33,836)
South American0.6%(9,929)
Salvadoran0.4%(5,922)
Cuban0.3%(5,396)
Dominican0.3%(4,754)
Spaniard0.3%(4,600)
Honduran0.3%(3,705)
Guatemalan0.2%(3,344)
Colombian0.2%(3,324)
Panamanian0.2%(2,662)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(2,315)
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,166)
Venezuelan0.1%(1,150)
Nicaraguan0.1%(764)
Bolivian0.1%(718)
Argentine0%(505)
Chilean0%(492)
Uruguayan0%(160)
Asian origin
Filipino1.9%(32,385)
Chinese0.5%(7,909)
Asian Indian0.4%(7,512)
Vietnamese0.4%(6,360)
Korean0.3%(5,380)
Japanese0.1%(1,985)
Thai0.1%(1,453)
Pakistani0.1%(1,160)
Cambodian0%(661)
Taiwanese0%(532)
Nepalese0%(329)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(301)
Laotian0%(272)
Bhutanese0.1%(268)
Sri Lankan0%(173)
Indonesian0%(124)
Hmong0%(78)
Mongolian0%(33)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(2,119)
Chamorro0.1%(1,403)
Samoan0.1%(1,332)
Tongan0%(22)
Fijian0%(6)
Ancestry
German9.7%(169,313)
English9.4%(163,819)
American8.7%(151,488)
Irish8.6%(150,817)
Italian4.1%(71,159)
Subsaharan African2.4%(40,843)
French1.9%(33,206)
Scottish1.9%(32,772)
Polish1.7%(29,747)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(19,825)
West Indian1%(16,889)
British0.8%(14,016)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.7%(11,857)
Norwegian0.6%(11,297)
Welsh0.6%(10,740)
Swedish0.6%(10,676)
French Canadian0.5%(8,260)
Jamaican0.5%(7,830)
Russian0.4%(7,051)
Greek0.4%(7,045)
Hungarian0.3%(5,257)
Portuguese0.2%(4,075)
Czech0.2%(3,849)
Danish0.2%(3,629)
Ukrainian0.2%(3,470)
Austrian0.2%(2,840)
Haitian0.2%(2,740)
Canadian0.2%(2,582)
Swiss0.1%(2,438)
Slovak0.1%(2,283)
Lithuanian0.1%(1,888)
Lebanese0.1%(1,860)
Nigerian0.1%(1,774)
Finnish0.1%(1,655)
Ghanaian0.1%(1,340)
Turkish0.1%(1,324)
Belgian0.1%(1,307)
Romanian0.1%(1,296)
Egyptian0.1%(1,264)
Brazilian0.1%(1,190)
Croatian0.1%(1,119)
Ethiopian0.1%(863)
Armenian0%(773)
Iranian0%(673)
Israeli0.1%(671)
Bulgarian0%(638)
Moroccan0%(636)
Barbadian0%(545)
Serbian0%(530)
Arab0%(502)
Guyanese0%(455)
Slovene0%(397)
Australian0%(354)
Iraqi0%(290)
Syrian0%(262)
Kenyan0%(262)
Somali0%(209)
Latvian0%(123)
Jordanian0%(72)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.0%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 23.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.0%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 84.5% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
12.9%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.8 min
+59%since 2000
from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
79.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 79.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2011
from 7.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
67.1%
−1.7 ptssince 2011
from 68.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
39.9%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
6.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
8.1%
−3.8 ptssince 2013
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.8%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
83.2%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
8.1%
−3.8 ptssince 2013
from 11.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
53.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.6%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
13.8%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
4.4%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
75.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
31.2%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)41.4%(85,193)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)39.3%(80,842)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era25.5%(52,436)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War3.7%(7,596)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.2%(2,390)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 205,574 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
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+16%
Home value$342,382+34%
Population1,785,500−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
VIRGINIA BEACH VS
Providence
Income$87,204+24%
Home value$426,358+67%
Population1,708,161−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
VIRGINIA BEACH VS
Indianapolis
Income$83,841+19%
Home value$270,686+6%
Population2,205,695+23%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
VIRGINIA BEACH VS
Columbus
Income$84,300+20%
Home value$300,581+18%
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 1,780,059 residents according to the 2020 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 $70,444 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 $254,889, and the typical rent is about $1,222 a month.

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

About 33.0% 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 10.7% 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 315,461 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 →