Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety0#15,559/15,637
Economy15#13,255/15,631
Housing48#7,862/14,977
Health5#14,827/15,609
Healthcare34#10,316/15,650
Environment97#408/15,453
Education19#12,727/15,649
Infrastructure24#11,949/15,650
Community31#10,877/15,651
Leisure & amenities24#11,965/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Petersburg, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Petersburg city value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Distance to an Amtrak station · low3 mi
99/100Virginia 14 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauPetersburg city value
Natural hazard risk · low1.9
97/100Virginia 17.92025Federal Emergency Management AgencyPetersburg city value
New business applications · high22.4 /1k
94/100Virginia 15.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauPetersburg city value
Mental health providers · high608 /100k
93/100Virginia 284 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePetersburg city value
Job growth · high2.8%
93/100Virginia -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataPetersburg city value
Public transit commuters · high3.7%
90/100Virginia 2.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301

Weaknesses

Life expectancy · low65.1 yrs
0/100Virginia 77.8 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePetersburg city value
Injury deaths · high222 /100k
0/100Virginia 78 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePetersburg city value
Firearm deaths · high51.0 /100k
0/100Virginia 12.4 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPetersburg city value
Homicide rate · high36.0 /100k
0/100Virginia 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPetersburg city value
Premature death · high22,437 /100k
1/100Virginia 7,587 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePetersburg city value
Drug overdose deaths · high51.0 /100k
1/100Virginia 12.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPetersburg city value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
31,362 (2015-2019) → 33,537 (2020-2024)
+6.9%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
69.0% (2015-2019) → 85.5% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
36.5% (2015-2019) → 26.9% (2020-2024)
−9.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
14.6% (2015-2019) → 7.8% (2020-2024)
−6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.8× (2015-2019) → 3.7× (2020-2024)
+33%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$38,679 (2015-2019) → $50,698 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Petersburg, Virginia improved on 6 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved6

Uninsured−6.8 points14.6% → 7.8%
Broadband+16 points69.0% → 85.5%
Inequality−0.0530.490 → 0.436
Child poverty−9.6 points36.5% → 26.9%
Bachelor's++5.6 points19.8% → 25.4%

Declined1

Price / income+0.9×2.8× → 3.7×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Petersburg, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.7 min2015-2019	25.7 min2020-2024	+3.0 min	Within the margin of error	19%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.8%2015-2019	25.4%2020-2024	+5.6 points	Improved	72%
Broadband subscriptions	69.0%2015-2019	85.5%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	84%
Child poverty rate	36.5%2015-2019	26.9%2020-2024	−9.6 points	Improved	81%
Effective property tax rate	0.91%2015-2019	0.87%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	24%
High school diploma or higher	82.8%2015-2019	86.7%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.7×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	25%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4902015-2019	0.4362020-2024	−0.053	Improved	85%
Median household income	$38,6792015-2019	$50,6982020-2024	+31%	Improved	58%
Poverty rate	24.1%2015-2019	21.7%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Public transit commuters	2.3%2015-2019	3.7%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	99%
Rent as share of income	32.8%2015-2019	30.7%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Rent-burdened households	53.8%2015-2019	51.1%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Unemployment rate	11.7%2015-2019	10.0%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.6%2015-2019	7.8%2020-2024	−6.8 points	Improved	92%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Petersburg, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Petersburg, Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Petersburg, Virginia itself moved +4.2 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

33,537 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (+2.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

33,537 residents

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

White14%4,818
Black74%24,890
Hispanic or Latino6.5%2,183

Education

22,713 residents (±140)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

No high school diploma13%3,010
High school or GED33%7,447
Some college21%4,660

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

15,138 households (±401)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k24%3,658
$25k–50k25%3,773
$50k–75k24%3,595
$75k–100k9.3%1,408
$100k–150k13%1,910
$150k–200k2.6%†387
$200k or more2.7%†407

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−10.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

15,138 households (±401)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Own39%5,846
Rent61%9,292

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

9,162 households (±569)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $75012%1,098
$750–1,00019%1,746
$1,000–1,50050%4,624

Home values

5,846 homes (±536)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $150k39%2,252
$150k–250k32%1,858
$250k–400k21%1,254

Age of homes

18,075 homes (±24)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

2010 or later7.6%1,377
2000–20098.7%1,574
1980–199917%3,155

Size of homes

18,075 homes (±24)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Studio3.3%†597
1 bedroom20%3,558
2 bedrooms33%5,962

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

14,525 workers (±563)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone73%10,655
Carpool8.8%1,284
Public transit3.7%†533
Walk0.5%†78
Bike0.0%0
Work from home10%1,455
Other3.6%†520

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+7.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

13,070 workers (±739)

Petersburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under 15 min29%3,801
15–29 min39%5,121
30–44 min19%2,440

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Richmond, VA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Petersburg city, the county holding most of Petersburg's residents.

Petersburg city has 707 employer establishments, 212 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248; 0.88× Virginia's), with 11,824 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,436. The Census Bureau also counts 2,202 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 707; 2,202 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 212; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 11,824
Average annual pay: $54,436; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Petersburg city by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	76	22.8	1.09×About typical	1,163	$60,166	114
Restaurants and other eating places	63	18.9	1.03×About typical	634	$21,084	17
Religious organizations	39	11.7	2.11×More than typical	147	$22,510	—
Limited-service restaurants	34	10.2	1.27×More than typical	448	$19,891	10
Full-service restaurants	27	8.1	1.06×About typical	172	$24,576	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	23	6.9	1.37×More than typical	90	$46,000	33
Grocery and convenience stores	23	6.9	2.33×More than typical	132	$26,008	7
Individual and family services	23	6.9	2.47×More than typical	239	$28,845	14
Specialty trade contractors	23	6.9	0.45×Fewer than typical	968	$82,744	86
Lessors of real estate	22	6.6	0.54×Fewer than typical	71	$47,817	149
Gasoline stations	21	6.3	1.94×More than typical	177	$27,836	—
Offices of physicians	19	5.7	0.88×About typical	417	$90,863	8

Rank places for an industry Open Petersburg city

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 33,316 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $15.5M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Petersburg, Virginia: $463 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $15.5M; −12% vs FY2025
Per resident: $463; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.8%; US 30%
Single offer: 36%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Information Systems Agency$13.2M85%
Department of the Army$1.8M12%
Defense Contract Management Agency$303.7K2.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$96.9K0.6%
Defense Commissary Agency$70.7K0.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs$30.9K0.2%

Top recipients

22ND CENTURY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.$5.4M35%
AT&T ENTERPRISES, LLC$4.4M28%
COMPQSOFT, INC.$2.6M17%
TEYA ENTERPRISES LLC$1.1M7.2%
GRANITE TELECOMMUNICATIONS, LLC$750.4K4.8%

Spending by fiscal year

45MFY2017
76.3MFY2018
108.8MFY2019
80.6MFY2020
51.2MFY2021
31.9MFY2022
27.1MFY2023
22.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Computer systems design and related services · 5415$8M52%
Wired telecommunications carriers · 5171$5.2M33%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$1.2M7.7%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$379.9K2.4%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$303.9K2.0%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Petersburg, Virginia

LABOR$37M
COMPQSOFT, INC.· Petersburg city, VA· IT & telecom· Mar 30, 2020 – Mar 6, 2026· HC102820F6460
VPNS ACCESS AND TRANSPORT SERVICE$18.2M
AT&T ENTERPRISES, LLC· Petersburg city, VA· IT & telecom· Dec 20, 2019 – May 15, 2026· HC101320F0025
BASE YEAR, CASCOM IT SERVICE SUPPORT$16.6M
AGIL3 TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS LLC· Petersburg city, VA· IT & telecom· Jun 19, 2019 – Mar 24, 2026· W91QF519F0076
IPVS HOSTED W/MANAGED LAN AND DIDS$6M

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Petersburg, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Petersburg, Virginia's figures are part of those of Petersburg city, VA ($15.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 99.8% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Petersburg is mostly in Petersburg city.

See federal money in Petersburg city

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Petersburg, Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jennifer L. McClellanD-VA-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Petersburg city27100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Richmond, VA78

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5161832

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends