Chesapeake, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Chesapeake is located in Virginia with a total population of 252,583. It is the 7th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Chesapeake is 37.9 years. This is 3% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Chesapeake is $95,373. This is 2% higher than the state median of $93,170. It is also 18% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.4%. This is 5% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. This is 15% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $378,400. Housing costs are 1% lower than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.0x. 74.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Chesapeake is White (non-Hispanic), making up 53.8% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 28.5%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (28.5% vs 18.3%).

Education

36.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 12% lower than the state rate of 42.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Chesapeake come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.