HomeVirginiaVirginia Beach city
Virginia Beach city, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Virginia Beach city, Virginia has a population of 456,349 across 249 square miles, down 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $32.88 bn in 2024, 11,822 establishments operate here.
78 sourced county values · tier FULL · 8 sections
Virginia Beach city
How many people live in Virginia Beach city
- Population456,349
- Households179,851
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$92,968
- Median age37.9
- Median gross rent$1,714 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$382,500
- Home value to household income4.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over317,944
- Population under 1899,859
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over72,515
- Share 65 and over15.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64283,975
- Civilian labor force229,840
- Unemployment rate4.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.5 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia independent cities3rd of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents159th
Virginia Beach city is the 3rd largest of 133 Virginia independent cities by population. A median home costs 4.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 15.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Virginia Beach city
Is Virginia Beach city growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.01 percent
- Census 2020 base population459,444
- Births, 20245,081
- Deaths, 20243,446
- Natural change, 20241,635
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,284
- Net international migration, 20241,675
- Total net migration, 2024-609
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-15,288
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2194th
The county has lost 1.01 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Virginia Beach city
Where people moving to Virginia Beach city come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving16,672
- People arriving, from those returns29,357
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.10 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$66,067
- Largest single originVirginia Beach city Non-migrants (168,899 households)
- Largest single destination (168,899 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach city Non-migrants | 168,899 | 332,096 | $17.47 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,932 | 6,734 | $252.8 m |
| Norfolk city | 2,715 | 4,700 | $157.5 m |
| Chesapeake city | 1,943 | 3,377 | $113.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,705 | 3,010 | $97.1 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 883 | 1,440 | $60.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 763 | 1,263 | $48.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 581 | 1,021 | $46.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Virginia Beach city Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Virginia Beach city
What the Virginia Beach city economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$32.88 bn
- County GDP, 2023$29.84 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202410.2 percent
- GDP change over five years39.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia independent cities6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents180th
- GDP per resident$72,048
Output grew 10.2 percent in the latest year and 39.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Virginia Beach city
Who employs people in Virginia Beach city
- Covered employment, annual average179,013
- Establishments reporting13,794
- Average annual pay$57,981
- Average weekly wage$1,115
- Sector 62, employment24,862
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,071
- Sector 72, employment23,995
- Sector 72, average annual pay$26,769
- Sector 44-45, employment21,657
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,502
- Sector 54, employment13,791
- Sector 54, average annual pay$97,601
- Sector 56, employment12,022
- Sector 23, employment9,701
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 24,862 | 2,231 | $64,071 |
| Sector 72 | 23,995 | 1,321 | $26,769 |
| Sector 44-45 | 21,657 | 1,351 | $35,502 |
| Sector 54 | 13,791 | 1,786 | $97,601 |
| Sector 56 | 12,022 | 769 | $52,826 |
| Sector 23 | 9,701 | 1,234 | $72,561 |
| Sector 31-33 | 6,856 | 302 | $68,258 |
| Sector 52 | 6,649 | 697 | $93,807 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 24,862 jobs, 13.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Virginia Beach city
What businesses operate in Virginia Beach city
- Establishments, all industries11,822
- Employment at those establishments165,136
- Annual payroll$8.67 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Virginia Beach city
What is being built in Virginia Beach city
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024666
- Declared construction value permitted$142.4 m
- Single family units authorised319
- Multifamily units authorised347
- Multifamily share of units52.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$213,866
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.7
Multifamily is 52.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Virginia Beach city
How big is Virginia Beach city
- Land area249 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia independent cities80th of 133
- Width, east to west19.9 mi
- Height, north to south26.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land1,833
- Establishments per square mile47.48
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 7(a) approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2020 onward.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Virginia Beach city site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Virginia Beach city site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population456,349
- Households179,851
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$92,968
- Median age37.9
Common questions
Virginia Beach city questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Virginia Beach city, Virginia?
456,349, in 179,851 households, ranking 3rd of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Virginia Beach city growing?
The population has fallen 1.01 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 5,081 births against 3,446 deaths, with net migration of -609. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Virginia Beach city?
$92,968. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $382,500, which is 4.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,714 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Virginia Beach city?
11,822 establishments, employing 165,136 people with an annual payroll of $8.67 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Virginia Beach city?
Average annual pay is $57,981, or $1,115 a week, across 179,013 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
What is being built in Virginia Beach city?
666 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $142.4 m. Multifamily was 52.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Virginia Beach city?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Virginia Beach city come from?
The largest single origin is Virginia Beach city Non-migrants, with 168,899 households. Arriving households report an average income of $66,067 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Virginia Beach city on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Virginia Beach city?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.