Norfolk City County · Virginia · South · 234k residents
Norfolk, VA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Norfolk: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Virginia median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Norfolk is $289,900, 40% below the Virginia median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,256/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 94 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $66,109 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Norfolk is $289,900, 40.3% below the median for ACS-covered places in Virginia.
- Household income: Median household income is $66,109, 41.4% below the median for ACS-covered places in Virginia.
- Adult education: 33.5% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 32.2% below the median for ACS-covered places in Virginia.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 4.4 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A naval port city where waterfront life, maritime history, and a compact arts scene meet.
Known for: The world’s largest naval base region, the Chrysler Museum, waterfronts, and seafood.
Calendar note: Norfolk Harborfest is the city’s signature annual celebration.
Story source: Visit Norfolk
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Norfolk about 17 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 210 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 28 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Norfolk side by side
Cost of living index
94
ACS median home value
$289,900
2-bedroom rent
$1,256/mo
Median household income
$66,109
Housing momentum
How fast Norfolk's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
66/100
Steady
Ranks Norfolk's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Norfolk's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $289,900 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $220 |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,104/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,256/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.36% |
| Sales tax | 5.75% |
| Cost of living index | 94 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $70/mo |
| Gas price | $3.15/gal |
| Healthcare index | 98 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,250/mo |
| Median household income | $66,109 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% |
| Population | 234k |
| Crime index | 32/100 |
| School rating | 6.8/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 81/100 |
| Avg. commute | 28 min |
| Sunny days / year | 210 days |
| July high | 88°F |
| January low | 32°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +0.8% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +6.9% |
| Rent MoM | +0.6% |
| Ocean coast | 17 mi |
| Big lake | 94 mi |
| Mountains | 163 mi |
| Major airport | 6 mi |
| Ski resort | 162 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Portsmouth, VA · 97k
- Chesapeake, VA · 253k
- Suffolk, VA · 99k
- Virginia Beach, VA · 456k
- Newport News, VA · 184k
Similar size
- Arlington, VA · 236k
- Richmond, VA · 229k
- Alexandria, VA · 157k
- Hampton, VA · 138k
- Roanoke, VA · 98k
Real listings in Norfolk
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Norfolk, VA?
- Norfolk indexes at 94 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,256/mo and a acs median home value of $289,900.
- How much does a house cost in Norfolk?
- The acs median home value in Norfolk is $289,900, 40% below the Virginia median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Norfolk?
- A two-bedroom in Norfolk rents for about $1,256/mo.