Newport News, Virginia Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Newport News is a major urban center located in Virginia. The total population is 184,216. It ranks as the 6th most populous out of 681 Census-designated places in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Newport News is 34.4 years. This is 12% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Newport News is $69,634. This is 25% lower than the state median of $93,170. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.5%. This is 46% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 5.8%. This is 35% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $260,600. Housing costs are 32% lower than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 48.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 28% lower than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Newport News is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 39.3%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (40.6% vs 18.3%). The Asian population (3.3%) is well below the state average of 6.9%.

Education

30.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 27% 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 92.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Newport News, Virginia is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Virginia state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 681 Census-designated places in Virginia. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.