Virginia Beach, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Virginia Beach is located in Virginia with a total population of 456,349. It is the 3rd most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

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

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Virginia Beach is $92,968. 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 8.6%. This is 13% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 4.0%. This is 7% lower than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $382,500. Housing costs are about the same as the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.1x. 65.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Virginia Beach is White (non-Hispanic), making up 58.9% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 18.2%.

Education

40.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 3% 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 94.7%. Notably, 15.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Virginia Beach 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.