Hopewell, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Hopewell is located in Virginia with a total population of 22,944. It is the 74th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Hopewell is 36.4 years. This is 6% lower than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Hopewell is $48,681. This is 46% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 23.8%. This is 140% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 9.3%. This is 117% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $165,100. Housing costs are 54% lower than the state median of $360,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 55.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Hopewell is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Black or African American residents account for 41.2%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (41.2% vs 18.4%). The Asian population (1.1%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

12.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 70% lower than the state rate of 41.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 87.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Hopewell come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), 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.