Petersburg city, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51730 Democrat

Located in Virginia, Petersburg city has a population of 33,537 residents and a median age of 35.8 years, making it the #1,384 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.7%. The median home value is $189,000, and the median household income is $50,698, which is 33% below the national median.

33,537
Population
#1,384 of 3,222
$50,698
Median Income
-32.5% #2,734 of 3,222
35.8 years
Median Age
-8.0% #2,904 of 3,222
21.7%
Poverty Rate
+72.5% #2,816 of 3,222

Demographics

Petersburg city has a population of 33,537, making it the #1,384 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.8 years, which is 8.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.5%
Native Born
4.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Petersburg city is $50,698, ranking #2,734 out of 3,222 counties — 32.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.7% and unemployment stands at 9.8%.

Income#2,734
$50,698
-32.5%
vs nation
15th percentile
Per Capita#2,519
$29,418
-28.7%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poverty#2,816
21.7%
+72.5%
vs nation
13th percentile
Unemployment#3,081
9.8%
+84.9%
vs nation
4th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Petersburg city is $189,000 (-33.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,174/mo and the homeownership rate is 38.6%.

Home Value#1,534
$189,000
-33.0%
vs nation
52th percentile
Rent#580
$1,174
+0.9%
vs nation
82th percentile
Homeownership#3,212
38.6%
-40.0%
vs nation
0th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Petersburg city, 25.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 24.6% below the national average, ranking #1,175 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.4% −24.6% vs nation
Rank #1,175 of 3,222
64th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Petersburg city is 64.3 years. 24.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,048
64.3
-14.4%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,603
24.1%
+23.2%
vs nation
17th percentile
Diabetes#3,085
16.7%
+50.0%
vs nation
2th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,138
48.6%
+30.3%
vs nation
0th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,712
6.3
+11.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,473
5.0
+11.7%
vs nation
21th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,025
7.5%
-27.9%
vs nation
67th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,256
29.2%
+10.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,918
15.2%
+5.5%
vs nation
39th percentile

Substance Use

18.4% of adults in Petersburg city smoke , 46.5% are obese , and 15.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 112.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,814
18.4%
+2.5%
vs nation
42th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,088
46.5%
+22.7%
vs nation
2th percentile
Excessive Drinking#285
15.6%
-21.7%
vs nation
91th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,099
112.1
+246.5%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Petersburg city is 46.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 21.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,531
46.0
+475.2%
vs nation
0th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,748
21.4
+8.5%
vs nation
32th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,459
60.6
+238.8%
vs nation
0th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,852
22.3
+10.3%
vs nation
34th percentile

Families & Children

31.5% of children in Petersburg city live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 10.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 60.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,287
10.9
+60.9%
vs nation
6th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,985
60.4
+176.6%
vs nation
1th percentile
Child Poverty#2,911
31.5%
+65.9%
vs nation
7th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Petersburg city is 59.3%. The mean commute time is 27.0 min, which is 2.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.0 min −2.3% vs nation
Rank #1,488 of 3,222
54th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Petersburg city voted Democratic with a margin of 72.8%. The vote was 85.8% Dem / 13% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.8 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +72.8%
85.8% 13%
Dem 13,077 votes Rep
2020 DEM +76.6%
87.8% 11.2%
Dem 14,118 votes Rep
2016 DEM +76.9%
87.5% 10.6%
Dem 13,717 votes Rep
2012 DEM +80.4%
90% 9.6%
Dem 15,977 votes Rep
2008 DEM +78.4%
88.6% 10.2%
Dem 15,540 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Petersburg city, Virginia

Petersburg city, Virginia has a total population of 33,537, making it the 1,384th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Petersburg city is 35.8 years, which is 8.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Petersburg city is $50,698, which ranks #2,734 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.8%.

The median home value in Petersburg city is $189,000, 33.0% below the national median. Renters in Petersburg city pay a median gross rent of $1,174 per month. The homeownership rate is 38.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Petersburg city, 25.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 24.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.0 min.

Petersburg city is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 74.2% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (14.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.5%).

All data for Petersburg 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.