Chesapeake city, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51550 Democrat

Located in Virginia, Chesapeake city has a population of 252,583 residents and a median age of 37.9 years, making it the #285 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.4%. The median home value is $378,400, and the median household income is $95,373, which is 27% above the national median.

252,583
Population
#285 of 3,222
$95,373
Median Income
+26.9% #219 of 3,222
37.9 years
Median Age
-2.6% #2,608 of 3,222
9.4%
Poverty Rate
-25.2% #670 of 3,222

Demographics

Chesapeake city has a population of 252,583, making it the #285 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.9 years, which is 2.6% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

94.2%
Native Born
5.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Chesapeake city is $95,373, ranking #219 out of 3,222 counties — 26.9% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.4% and unemployment stands at 4.6%.

Income#219
$95,373
+26.9%
vs nation
93th percentile
Per Capita#417
$44,985
+9.0%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poverty#670
9.4%
-25.2%
vs nation
79th percentile
Unemployment#1,754
4.6%
-12.9%
vs nation
46th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Chesapeake city is $378,400 (+34.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,586/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.4%.

Home Value#345
$378,400
+34.2%
vs nation
89th percentile
Rent#198
$1,586
+36.4%
vs nation
94th percentile
Homeownership#1,641
74.4%
+15.5%
vs nation
49th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Chesapeake city, 36.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.5% above the national average, ranking #382 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
36.9% +9.5% vs nation
Rank #382 of 3,222
88th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Chesapeake city is 76.9 years. 16.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#957
76.9
+2.3%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#917
16.4%
-16.2%
vs nation
71th percentile
Diabetes#2,313
12.4%
+11.4%
vs nation
26th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,270
39.8%
+6.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,538
5.6
-0.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#463
3.7
-16.1%
vs nation
85th percentile
Uninsured Rate#749
6.8%
-34.9%
vs nation
76th percentile
Physical Inactivity#582
21.7%
-17.7%
vs nation
82th percentile
Food Insecurity#108
8.6%
-40.3%
vs nation
97th percentile

Substance Use

15.3% of adults in Chesapeake city smoke , 41.2% are obese , and 18.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#735
15.3%
-14.8%
vs nation
77th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,436
41.2%
+8.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,128
18.8%
-5.3%
vs nation
64th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#874
24.8
-23.4%
vs nation
59th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Chesapeake city is 7.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#970
7.6
-4.6%
vs nation
37th percentile
Suicide Rate#473
13.3
-32.5%
vs nation
82th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,092
15.7
-12.3%
vs nation
56th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#147
7.6
-62.3%
vs nation
95th percentile

Families & Children

12.3% of children in Chesapeake city live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 12.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#590
6.1
-10.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#623
12.2
-44.0%
vs nation
79th percentile
Child Poverty#657
12.3%
-35.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Chesapeake city is 71.2%. The mean commute time is 28.1 min, which is 1.7% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.1 min +1.7% vs nation
Rank #1,244 of 3,222
61th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Chesapeake city voted Democratic with a margin of 3.8%. The vote was 51.3% Dem / 47.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.6 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +3.8%
51.3% 47.5%
Dem 127,493 votes Rep
2020 DEM +6.4%
52.2% 45.8%
Dem 127,108 votes Rep
2016 REP +1.3%
47% 48.3%
Dem 111,827 votes Rep
2012 DEM +1.1%
50% 48.9%
Dem 110,105 votes Rep
2008 DEM +1.3%
50.2% 48.9%
Dem 107,521 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Chesapeake city, Virginia

Chesapeake city, Virginia has a total population of 252,583, making it the 285th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Chesapeake city is 37.9 years, which is 2.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Chesapeake city is $95,373, which ranks #219 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.9% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.6%.

The median home value in Chesapeake city is $378,400, 34.2% above the national median. Renters in Chesapeake city pay a median gross rent of $1,586 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Chesapeake city, 36.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.5% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.1 min.

Chesapeake city is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 53.8% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (28.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (7.7%).

All data for Chesapeake city, Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.