Metro area · Virginia
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is a metropolitan area of 18 counties in Virginia, North Carolina, home to 1,797,213 residents. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area has a quality-of-life score of 69 out of 100 (high), ranking #283 of 925 US metro and micro areas. Among metro and micro areas based in Virginia it ranks #6 of 12. It ranks best on access to exercise opportunities (high), distance to an airport (low) and some college (high). It ranks worst on rent as share of income (high), rent-burdened households (high) and property crime rate (high).
- Quality-of-life score
- #283 of 925 metro and micro areas
- Virginia
- #6 of 12 in VA
- Population
- 1,797,213 (2025)
- Land area
- 3,202 mi²
- Density
- 561.3 /mi²
- CBSA code
- 47260
Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 69 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.
Scores by category
Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.
- Safety31#642/924
- Economy86#131/925
- Housing13#801/925
- Health72#263/925
- Healthcare77#216/923
- Environment68#293/917
- Education86#133/925
- Infrastructure81#179/925
- Community48#479/925
- Leisure & amenities59#377/925
Strengths · Weaknesses
Indicators where Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).
Strengths
- Access to exercise opportunities · high91.0%92/100Virginia 83.8%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
- Distance to an airport · low15 mi91/100Virginia 32 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
- Some college · high71.8%88/100Virginia 72.0%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
- Median household income · high$82,330
- Distance to an Amtrak station · low9 mi85/100Virginia 14 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
- Traffic deaths · low9.4 /100k85/100Virginia 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Weaknesses
- Rent as share of income · high32.3%
- Rent-burdened households · high54.5%
- Property crime rate · high1,814 /100k17/100Virginia 1,354 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
- Homicide rate · high6.7 /100k20/100Virginia 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
- Public libraries · low0.4 /10k23/100Virginia 0.4 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
- Home price to income ratio · high4.1×
Trends
The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.
- High ozone daysWorsening
0 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
+415%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
- Drought exposureWorsening
13% (2021) → 49% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
+36 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
- Drug overdose deathsImproving
31.0 /100k (2021) → 12.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−59%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
- Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
25.3% (Dec 2021) → 34.5% (Aug 2026)
+9.2 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
- Homicide rateImproving
11.9 /100k (2021) → 6.7 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−44%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
- Mental health providersImproving
200 /100k (2021) → 283 /100k (2025)
+41%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
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.
Metro and micro areas like Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area five years ago that improved
The places whose measures looked most like those of Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area 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.
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).
Income
How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.
Homes
Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.
Getting to work
How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.
Jobs and pay
What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.
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.
Federal contract spending
Federal grants & assistance
Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.
Counties in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.
- Virginia Beach cityCentral county95453,737
- Chesapeake cityCentral county82255,332
- Norfolk cityCentral county52231,013
- Newport News cityCentral county59183,230
- Hampton cityCentral county58137,315
- Portsmouth cityCentral county3796,777
- York CountyCentral county9571,374
- Isle of Wight CountyCentral county7941,321
- Gloucester CountyCentral county8740,097
- Poquoson cityCentral county8513,292
- Suffolk cityOutlying county70104,699
- James City CountyOutlying county9883,326
- Currituck CountyOutlying county7933,158
- Williamsburg cityOutlying county8515,861
- Camden CountyOutlying county7511,315
- Gates CountyOutlying county3010,234
- Mathews CountyOutlying county738,529
- Surry CountyOutlying county536,603
States
The share of the area's residents living in each state.
Principal cities
The cities the area is named for.
Largest cities and towns
By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.
- Virginia Beach456,349
- Chesapeake252,583
- Norfolk233,596
- Newport News184,216
- Hampton137,557
- Suffolk98,796
- Portsmouth97,190
- Williamsburg15,798
- Poquoson12,639
- Gloucester Point11,109
- Smithfield8,834
- Carrollton8,436
- Moyock5,684
- Bethel Manor4,393
- Gloucester Courthouse3,336
- Windsor2,852
- Grandy2,245
- Benns Church1,813
- Camden1,115
- Rushmere1,033
- Mathews941
- Camptown834
- Coinjock543
- Gwynn514
Other metro and micro areas in Virginia
Areas based in Virginia, best score first.
Neighboring metro and micro areas
Places that share a border, best score first.
Similar metro and micro areas
Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).
- Richmond, VA78Alike on Airport, Some college, Rent
- Kansas City, MO-KS73Alike on Some college, Household income, Broadband
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD69Alike on Airport, Exercise access, Some college
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA57Alike on Rent / income, Rent burden, Precipitation
- Jacksonville, FL55Alike on Population, Density, Rent
Data and sources
Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.
- Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
- PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
- Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
- Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
- Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
- Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
- Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
- U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
- Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
- nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
- Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
- Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
- Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
- American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
- Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
- Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
- 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
- Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
- Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
- Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
- County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
- Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08