Virginia Beach, Virginia is a highly populated city with a population of 449,733 people. The majority of Virginia Beach residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Black and Asian. Virginia Beach is known to be family friendly as more than 73% of the population has already tied the knot. It might also be worth noting that 58% of residents also have children under the age of 18.
Living in Virginia Beach can be a good experience for anyone relocating to the town. Having said that, in the state of Virginia, there are many amazing places to live, so choose wisely! When searching for a new neighborhood, several factors play a vital role in determining its suitability. Safety should be a top priority, ensuring a secure environment with low crime rates. Proximity to your workplace or school helps minimize commuting time and allows for a better work-life balance. Availability of essential amenities such as parks, coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities contributes to convenience and well-being. Access to reliable public transportation options facilitates easy commuting and connectivity. Additionally, considering the sense of community and the overall atmosphere that resonates with your lifestyle and preferences fosters a harmonious living experience. To help you find the best places to live in and around Virginia Beach, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like crime, cost of living, housing and more.
The livability score in Virginia Beach is 82/100 and the city is ranked in the 97th percentile of all cities across America. Compared to the United States average, Virginia Beach ranks among some of the best places to live in the country! Virginia Beach also ranks in the top 10 percent of all cities, which is no small feat! If we examine each of the categories individually, we see that Virginia Beach ranks well for amenities (A+), crime (A), education (A+), employment (A) and housing (A-).
Location, location, location - those 3 words empasize the significance of the location of any property and are possibly the three most important words in your search for a new place to live. Fortunately, in Virginia Beach, there are an abundance of amazing local amenities and other interesting things to do. These include grocery stores, coffee shops, places to eat and parks. Some of the interesting things to do and attractions include: Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, First Landing State Park, and Old Cape Henry Lighthouse.
Crime rates can be the deciding factor for anyone looking to relocate to a new area as the result is often a greater level of safety and security as well as an improved quality of life. Virginia Beach gets top scores for their low violent crime rates of 112 crimes per 100,000 residents, which are significantly lower than the national average.
Unemployment rates can range pretty dramatically from one city to another. Knowing that Virginia Beach has an unemployment rate of 1.14% could mean increased job opportunities with a higher demand for workers. It could also lead to higher wages as the demand for workers exceeds the availability of jobs. Most importantly, it could be a sign of a healthy and thriving local economy.
School test scores provide a standardized measurement that can be used to evaluate educational programs, instructional methods and curriculum effectiveness. Knowing that the Virginia Beach schools rank highly for test scores plays an important factor in deciding if this area is the right place to live. The average school test scores are 86%, which is far higher than the national average.
A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Virginia Beach has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.
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. The median home price for Virginia Beach homes is $262,200, which is 5.6% higher than the Virginia average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Virginia Beach, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 3.9, which is 2.6% higher than the Virginia average.
| Statistic | Virginia Beach | Virginia | National |
| Average one way commute | 23min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 81.9% | 77.4% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 8.7% | 9.5% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 0.9% | 4.5% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 4.0% | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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