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Compare towns

Hampton vs Suffolk

31 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (7.7× in Suffolk) and street grid (3.5× in Hampton).

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Hampton, VAA colonial town, settled 1610Virginia · 137,557 people
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Suffolk, VAA colonial town, settled 1742Virginia · 98,796 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $640 more a month in Suffolk

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Hampton$1,700/mo
Typical home $282K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $1,427/mo · Housing →
Suffolk$2,340/mo
Typical home $390K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.93% · or rent about $1,563/mo · Housing →

The difference: $640 a month, about $7,700 a year, between Suffolk and Hampton.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Suffolk places higher on 16 of 26 VA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Virginia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
HamptonSuffolk
Snow a year3″4″
January low32°F29°F
July high87°F89°F
Growing season (days)238d208d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)18th29th
Outdoors & history
HamptonSuffolk
Conserved land2%15.5%
Settled16101742
National Register places3126
Archive photos18—
Community
HamptonSuffolk
Library hours a week56 hrs54 hrs
Colleges in town2—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

31 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Hampton ↔ Suffolk31 miles apart
Who commutes between them
1,578 Suffolk residents work in Hampton (3.9% of its workers)
1,017 Hampton residents work in Suffolk (2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Suffolk →
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

HamptonSuffolk
People
Population 137,557Highest 98,796Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.2%Lowest VA: +7.9% +11.5%Highest VA: +7.9%
Median age 36.8±0.2Lowest 6% below VA 38.7±0.3Highest about the VA average
Kids under 18 21.5%±0.6Lowest VA: 21.7% 23.6%±0.7Highest VA: 21.7%
Age 65+ 16.7%±0.7Highest VA: 16.7% 15.3%±0.6Lowest VA: 16.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.5%Lowest VA: 42.2% 33.3%Highest VA: 42.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±0.7Highest VA: 6.9% 6%±0.6Lowest VA: 6.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $69,621±$2kLowest 25% below VA $92,666±$4kHighest about the VA average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $245,700±$5kLowest 36% below VA $347,400±$6kHighest 9% below VA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,427±$35Lowest 10% below VA $1,563±$58Highest about the VA average
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,327Lowest 17% below VA $3,229Highest 16% above VA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.3%±3.7Highest VA: 48.5% 57%±5Lowest VA: 48.5%
Hampton and Suffolk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 12.7%Highest VA: 9.9% 9.4%Lowest VA: 9.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.9%Lowest VA: 67.3% 70.7%Highest VA: 67.3%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 10 yrs older than VA 1996Highest 12 yrs newer than VA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 18% below VA 30 minHighest 11% above VA
Work from home 10.4%±1Lowest VA: 18.3% 10.7%±1.2Highest VA: 18.3%
Suffolk and Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 24.8%Highest 21.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 16.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.87Highest 0.76Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Newport News (27%)Chesapeake (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Suffolk4% work in Hampton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2%Lowest 15.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 37.0 miLowest 285.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 24Lowest 28Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 30.9Highest 8.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #91 of 219 in VA#152 of 219 in VA
School district New Horizons Career and Technical Center · Hampton City Public SchoolsSuffolk City Public Schools
High school in town Bethel HighKing's Fork High
Students per teacherat that high school 14.9Lowest 16.2Highest
Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Hampton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hampton’s Town Square.

Suffolk neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Suffolk’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Hampton

Towns like Hampton

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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