Norfolk, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Norfolk is located in Virginia with a total population of 233,596. It is the 9th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Norfolk is 32.7 years. This is 16% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Norfolk is $66,109. This is 29% lower than the state median of $93,170. It is also 18% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.5%. This is 67% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 5.7%. This is 34% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $289,900. Housing costs are 24% lower than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.4x. 46.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 31% lower than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Norfolk 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 38.9%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (38.9% vs 18.3%).

Education

33.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 21% 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 90.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Norfolk 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.