Suffolk, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Suffolk is located in Virginia with a total population of 98,796. It is the 19th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Suffolk is 38.7 years. This is about the same as the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Suffolk is $92,666. This is about the same as the state median of $93,170. It is also 15% 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 5.0%. This is 16% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $347,400. Housing costs are 9% lower than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 70.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Suffolk is White (non-Hispanic), making up 45.8% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 41.6%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (41.6% vs 18.3%). The Hispanic or Latino population (5.2%) is well below the state average of 11.0%. The Asian population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 6.9%.

Education

33.3% 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 91.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Suffolk 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.