Virginia Beach, VA, known as 'The Resort City,' offers a unique blend of coastal beauty and urban amenities. Located in southeastern Virginia, Virginia Beach is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Norfolk and Chesapeake enhance its status as a central point in the Hampton Roads region. Virginia Beach's blend of scenic beaches, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
Virginia Beach is home to several iconic landmarks, including the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, the First Landing State Park, and the historic Cape Henry Lighthouse. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Oceanfront to the bustling Town Center, known for its shopping and dining. Virginia Beach's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from fresh seafood to international cuisine.
Annual events such as the Neptune Festival and the American Music Festival highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Virginia Beach's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like Regent University and Virginia Wesleyan University contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in Virginia Beach is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Virginia Beach provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
Virginia Beach’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Virginia Beach City FC (NPSL) and the Virginia Beach Neptunes (FCBL), providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Virginia Beach include tourism, defense, and healthcare, with significant employers such as Sentara Healthcare and the Naval Air Station Oceana driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and light rail, making commuting convenient for residents.
Amenities
Conveniently located, the area boasts a variety of amenities, including grocery stores, shopping, coffee shops and entertainment options all within walking distance.
Crime
This area boasts a crime rate that is far below the national average, making it a very safe place to live. These crime statistics encompass both property and violent offenses.
Employment
With higher than average median household income, income per capita and lower unemployment rates, this area scores extremely well in the employment category.
Housing
Impressive scores in the housing category characterize this area, potentially attributed to the availability of affordable housing, strong appreciation rates and high home values.
Health & Safety
Accessible health facilities like hospitals, doctors offices, clinics and nursing homes as well as good air quality are all factors that have led to a high score in this category.
Commute
Low commute scores could be due to limited access to public transit in this area, as well as longer-than-average work commute times for residents.
Located in the state of Virginia, Virginia Beach is a highly populated city with a population of 463,341 inhabitants. Long commute times to work can be incredibly frustrating, ranking just behind housework on the list of life's annoyances. If you opt to make Virginia Beach your home, your one-way commute time will typically last around 24 minutes, a duration that aligns with the national average commute time of 26 minutes.
Whether you’re moving to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Virginia Beach could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Virginia if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Virginia Beach, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, commute, housing and more.
Virginia Beach, VA receives 83/100 for its livability score; this results in a ranking of #32 in Virginia and #769 in the USA. Based on this score, Virginia Beach would be considered a very livable city! The cherry on top is that Virginia Beach also ranks in the top 10 percent of all cities. There are nine total categories that form the livability score. Virginia Beach scores well for amenities (A+), crime (A), education (A+), employment (A+) and housing (A+)
Virginia Beach has many conveniently situated amenities and captivating attractions that adds to the continuous enjoyment of your everyday life. Having the assurance of abundant conveniences and a wide array of activities ensures your easy access to nearby grocery stores, restaurants, bars, fitness facilities, coffee shops and exciting entertainment options. This not only simplifies daily routines but also fosters a vibrant and dynamic lifestyle within the community. With a wealth of resources at your fingertips, you can savor the convenience and variety that Virginia Beach has to offer, making it a desirable destination for those seeking both accessibility and enjoyment in their daily lives. Here are some of the more popular things to do in Virginia Beach: Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, First Landing State Park, and Old Cape Henry Lighthouse.
Feeling a sense of safety in the area that you live in is a must for most people. Low crime rates can have a positive impact on things like home prices, home appreciation rates and can help foster positive community dynamics and social cohesion. Virginia Beach has a violent crime rate of 92 crimes per 100,000 residents which is far lower than the national average.
Parents and families often rely on school test scores when making decisions about local public schools. Test score data serves as a crucial metric for comparing and assessing various educational institutions. In Virginia Beach, the average school test scores reached an impressive 86%, significantly higher than the national average. This remarkable performance underscores the commitment of the educational system to equip students with the knowledge and resources necessary for success. It allows your children to receive the support and skills that are essential for thriving academically, making Virginia Beach an excellent choice for families seeking a high-quality education.
A robust real estate market serves as a crucial economic indicator, reflecting the local area's strength, stability and the confidence of its residents. Virginia Beach excels in the housing sector, scoring high marks based on factors such as median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability. These calculations suggest that the apartment rental and real estate market in the region is exceptionally healthy, highlighting the area's economic vitality and attractiveness to potential homebuyers and renters.
Virginia Beach real estate prices and overall affordability will play a huge role in determining if the area is the right fit for you. Of course there are probably some other items on your “wish list”, but even before they are considered, let’s take a look at the home prices and affordability in Virginia Beach. Median real estate prices in Virginia Beach come in at $507,045, which is 16.6% higher than the Virginia average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Virginia Beach, the home price to income ratio is 4.3, which is 4.4% lower than the Virginia average.
| Statistic | Virginia Beach | Virginia | National |
| Average one way commute | 24min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 80.3% | 77.4% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 8.3% | 9.5% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 0.8% | 4.5% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 6.1% | 4.7% | 4.6% |
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