Cost of living in the Virginia Beach Metro Area
18 counties across VA and NC. Population: 1,782,590.
Last updated May 22, 2026
Rent in the Virginia Beach Metro Area
Average rent across the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area, weighted by county population.
Source: HUD FMR + ACS (population-weighted metro average)
Income and earnings in the Virginia Beach Metro Area
Earnings data averaged across all 18 counties.
Source: ACS (population-weighted metro average)
Home values in the Virginia Beach Metro Area
Average home values and annual property tax across the metro.
Source: ACS (population-weighted metro average)
Energy costs in the Virginia Beach Metro Area
Residential electricity and natural gas estimates.
Source: EIA (state averages applied per county, weighted)
All 18 counties in the Virginia Beach Metro Area
The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area includes 18 counties across VA and NC. Sorted by population.
- Virginia Beach VA$3,743/moPop457,066 Rent$1,483/mo Income$90,685/yrVirginia Beach VA 457,066 $1,483/mo $90,685/yr $3,743/mo
- Chesapeake VA$3,751/moPop251,153 Rent$1,483/mo Income$94,189/yrChesapeake VA 251,153 $1,483/mo $94,189/yr $3,751/mo
- Norfolk VA$3,494/moPop235,037 Rent$1,483/mo Income$64,017/yrNorfolk VA 235,037 $1,483/mo $64,017/yr $3,494/mo
- Newport News VA$3,580/moPop184,774 Rent$1,483/mo Income$66,718/yrNewport News VA 184,774 $1,483/mo $66,718/yr $3,580/mo
- Hampton city VA$3,583/moPop137,334 Rent$1,483/mo Income$67,758/yrHampton city VA 137,334 $1,483/mo $67,758/yr $3,583/mo
- Portsmouth city VA$3,560/moPop97,299 Rent$1,483/mo Income$58,972/yrPortsmouth city VA 97,299 $1,483/mo $58,972/yr $3,560/mo
- Suffolk city VA$3,775/moPop96,638 Rent$1,483/mo Income$90,089/yrSuffolk city VA 96,638 $1,483/mo $90,089/yr $3,775/mo
- James City County VA$3,752/moPop80,046 Rent$1,483/mo Income$107,046/yrJames City County VA 80,046 $1,483/mo $107,046/yr $3,752/mo
- York County VA$3,863/moPop70,590 Rent$1,483/mo Income$108,326/yrYork County VA 70,590 $1,483/mo $108,326/yr $3,863/mo
- Isle of Wight County VA$3,820/moPop39,444 Rent$1,483/mo Income$96,118/yrIsle of Wight County VA 39,444 $1,483/mo $96,118/yr $3,820/mo
- Gloucester County VA$3,646/moPop39,228 Rent$1,483/mo Income$83,689/yrGloucester County VA 39,228 $1,483/mo $83,689/yr $3,646/mo
- Currituck County NC$3,652/moPop29,612 Rent$1,483/mo Income$91,548/yrCurrituck County NC 29,612 $1,483/mo $91,548/yr $3,652/mo
- Williamsburg city VA$2,965/moPop15,564 Rent$1,483/mo Income$70,206/yrWilliamsburg city VA 15,564 $1,483/mo $70,206/yr $2,965/mo
- Poquoson city VA$3,867/moPop12,556 Rent$1,483/mo Income$120,919/yrPoquoson city VA 12,556 $1,483/mo $120,919/yr $3,867/mo
- Camden County NC$3,183/moPop10,743 Rent$990/mo Income$87,781/yrCamden County NC 10,743 $990/mo $87,781/yr $3,183/mo
- Gates County NC$3,141/moPop10,437 Rent$1,079/mo Income$61,612/yrGates County NC 10,437 $1,079/mo $61,612/yr $3,141/mo
- Mathews County VA$3,595/moPop8,517 Rent$1,483/mo Income$75,487/yrMathews County VA 8,517 $1,483/mo $75,487/yr $3,595/mo
- Surry County VA$2,904/moPop6,552 Rent$689/mo Income$71,458/yrSurry County VA 6,552 $689/mo $71,458/yr $2,904/mo
Compare counties in the Virginia Beach Metro Area
Put two counties side by side to see how rent, taxes and everyday costs stack up across the metro.
Open comparison toolFrequently asked questions about the Virginia Beach Metro Area
Common questions about cost of living in the metro area.
What is the cost of living in the Virginia Beach Metro Area?
The estimated average cost of living in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area is approximately $3,660 per month for a single person. This is a population-weighted average across the 18 counties that make up the metro area.
What is the average rent in the Virginia Beach Metro Area?
The average one-bedroom rent across the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area is $1,475 per month, based on HUD Fair Market Rent data weighted by county population.
What is the cheapest county in the Virginia Beach Metro Area?
Surry County, VA is the most affordable county in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area at approximately $2,904 per month for a single person.
What is the most expensive county in the Virginia Beach Metro Area?
Poquoson city, VA is the most expensive county in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area at approximately $3,867 per month for a single person.
How many counties are in the Virginia Beach Metro Area?
The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area covers 18 counties across VA and NC. The five largest by population are Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton city.
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About this data
All figures come from official U.S. government sources. Metro-area averages are population-weighted across constituent counties using Census ACS population estimates.