Newport News city, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51700 Democrat

Located in Virginia, Newport News city has a population of 184,216 residents and a median age of 34.4 years, making it the #370 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.5%. The median home value is $260,600, and the median household income is $69,634, which is 7% below the national median.

184,216
Population
#370 of 3,222
$69,634
Median Income
-7.3% #1,224 of 3,222
34.4 years
Median Age
-11.6% #3,011 of 3,222
14.5%
Poverty Rate
+14.9% #1,846 of 3,222

Demographics

Newport News city has a population of 184,216, making it the #370 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.4 years, which is 11.6% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.3%
Native Born
7.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Newport News city is $69,634, ranking #1,224 out of 3,222 counties — 7.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.5% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.

Income#1,224
$69,634
-7.3%
vs nation
62th percentile
Per Capita#980
$38,773
-6.0%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poverty#1,846
14.5%
+14.9%
vs nation
43th percentile
Unemployment#2,186
5.3%
-0.3%
vs nation
32th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Newport News city is $260,600 (-7.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,339/mo and the homeownership rate is 48.2%.

Home Value#836
$260,600
-7.6%
vs nation
74th percentile
Rent#376
$1,339
+15.1%
vs nation
88th percentile
Homeownership#3,182
48.2%
-25.2%
vs nation
1th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Newport News city, 30.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.1% below the national average, ranking #723 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
30.6% −9.1% vs nation
Rank #723 of 3,222
78th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Newport News city is 74.2 years. 19.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,859
74.2
-1.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,640
19.1%
-2.4%
vs nation
48th percentile
Diabetes#2,564
13.1%
+17.7%
vs nation
19th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,708
41.6%
+11.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,115
5.9
+4.6%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,359
4.3
-3.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Uninsured Rate#859
7.1%
-32.0%
vs nation
73th percentile
Physical Inactivity#990
23.6%
-10.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Food Insecurity#959
12.4%
-13.9%
vs nation
70th percentile

Substance Use

16.1% of adults in Newport News city smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 18.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 36.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,007
16.1%
-10.3%
vs nation
68th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,262
40.6%
+7.1%
vs nation
28th percentile
Excessive Drinking#898
18.1%
-8.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,484
36.9
+14.0%
vs nation
30th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Newport News city is 15.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,374
15.8
+97.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Suicide Rate#678
14.7
-25.6%
vs nation
74th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,897
22.6
+26.6%
vs nation
23th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#439
10.7
-47.0%
vs nation
85th percentile

Families & Children

22.5% of children in Newport News city live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#806
6.9
+1.8%
vs nation
41th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,561
20.8
-4.8%
vs nation
48th percentile
Child Poverty#2,258
22.5%
+18.5%
vs nation
28th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Newport News city is 61.4%. The mean commute time is 25.7 min, which is 6.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.7 min −6.9% vs nation
Rank #1,777 of 3,222
45th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Newport News city voted Democratic with a margin of 28.8%. The vote was 63.7% Dem / 34.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +28.8%
63.7% 34.9%
Dem 75,629 votes Rep
2020 DEM +32.9%
65.4% 32.5%
Dem 81,203 votes Rep
2016 DEM +25.3%
59.9% 34.6%
Dem 68,432 votes Rep
2012 DEM +30.0%
64.4% 34.4%
Dem 79,169 votes Rep
2008 DEM +28.6%
63.9% 35.3%
Dem 81,295 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Newport News city, Virginia

Newport News city, Virginia has a total population of 184,216, making it the 370th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Newport News city is 34.4 years, which is 11.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Newport News city is $69,634, which ranks #1,224 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.

The median home value in Newport News city is $260,600, 7.6% below the national median. Renters in Newport News city pay a median gross rent of $1,339 per month. The homeownership rate is 48.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Newport News city, 30.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.7 min.

Newport News city is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 40.6% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (39.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (10.8%).

All data for Newport News 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.