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Suffolk vs Chesapeake

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: street grid (2.5× in Chesapeake) and conserved land (+19.6 pts in Chesapeake).

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Suffolk, VAA colonial town, settled 1742Virginia · 98,796 people
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Chesapeake, VAHometown of 66 notable peopleVirginia · 252,583 people
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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.

SuffolkA colonial town, settled 1742
HistorySettled in 174226 places on the National Register Housing$390K typical home6% below the VA typical home Outdoors#28 most conserved land in VA285 miles of trails across 28 parks and preserves All about Suffolk →
ChesapeakeHometown of 66 notable people
Famous people66 notable peopleborn in Chesapeake Outdoors#4 most conserved land in VA145 miles of trails across 70 parks and preserves College town2 collegesSentara College of Health Sciences All about Chesapeake →
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.

Street grid2.5×
Chesapeake has the more walkable street grid
Chesapeake 22.3Suffolk 8.9
Conserved land+19.6 pts
Chesapeake has more conserved land
Chesapeake 35.1%Suffolk 15.5%
Trails2×
Suffolk has more miles of trail
Suffolk 285.4 miChesapeake 144.5 mi
Size2.6×
Chesapeake is the bigger place
Chesapeake 252,583Suffolk 98,796
Work in town+9 pts
More of Chesapeake’s workers stay in town
Chesapeake 30.9%Suffolk 21.9%
Average commute4 min
Chesapeake has the shorter commute
Suffolk 30 minChesapeake 26 min
★ What stands out · Report cards

Chesapeake places higher on 18 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.

Safety
CSuffolkSafer than 26% of U.S. towns CChesapeakeSafer than 27% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−SuffolkBetter than 20% of districts in the state B+ChesapeakeBetter than 67% of districts in the state
Health
C+SuffolkHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns B−ChesapeakeHealthier than 54% of U.S. towns
6Suffolk
18Chesapeake

Lists won, of 26 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 249 towns #233#91 Best schoolsSchools · 219 towns #152#76 Most-used librariesLibraries · 24 towns #23#15 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 255 towns #103#186 Most new homesHousing · 55 towns #4#19 Shortest commuteGetting around · 255 towns #178#110 Most trailsOutdoors · 216 towns #129#171 Most activeHealth · 255 towns #167#119

Left end = #1 in Virginia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Suffolk’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $180 more a month in Chesapeake

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.

Suffolk$2,340/mo
Typical home $390K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.93% · or rent about $1,563/mo · Housing →
Chesapeake$2,520/mo
Typical home $425K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $1,586/mo · Housing →

The difference: $180 a month, about $2,100 a year, between Chesapeake and Suffolk.

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.

Where they are

Suffolk and Chesapeake share a border

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

SuffolkChesapeakeSuffolkChesapeake
Suffolk ↔ Chesapeake18 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
5,719 Suffolk residents work in Chesapeake (14.3% of its workers)
3,688 Chesapeake residents work in Suffolk (3.7% of its workers)
Work & commute in Suffolk →
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
SuffolkChesapeake
Snow a year4″6″
January low29°F34°F
July high89°F89°F
Growing season (days)208d252d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)29th40th
Outdoors & history
SuffolkChesapeake
Trails285 mi145 mi
Conserved land15.5%35.1%
Settled17421963
National Register places268
Archive photos—6
Famous people born here—66
Community
SuffolkChesapeake
Library hours a week54 hrs60 hrs
Colleges in town—2
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.

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.

SuffolkChesapeake
People
Population 98,796Lowest 252,583Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +11.5%Lowest VA: +7.9% +12.2%Highest VA: +7.9%
Median age 38.7±0.3Highest about the VA average 37.9±0.2Lowest about the VA average
Kids under 18 23.6%±0.7Lowest VA: 21.7% 24.2%±0.5Highest VA: 21.7%
Chesapeake and Suffolk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.3%±0.6Highest VA: 16.7% 14.6%±0.5Lowest VA: 16.7%
Suffolk and Chesapeake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 33.3%Lowest VA: 42.2% 36.9%Highest VA: 42.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±0.6Lowest VA: 6.9% 6.1%±0.5Highest VA: 6.9%
Chesapeake and Suffolk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $92,666±$4kLowest about the VA average $95,373±$3kHighest about the VA average
Chesapeake and Suffolk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $347,400±$6kLowest 9% below VA $378,400±$6kHighest about the VA average
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,563±$58Lowest about the VA average $1,586±$39Highest about the VA average
Chesapeake and Suffolk are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,229Highest 16% above VA $3,108Lowest 11% above VA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57%±5 VA: 48.5% 57%±4 VA: 48.5%
Below poverty line 9.4% VA: 9.9% 9.4% VA: 9.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.7%Lowest VA: 67.3% 74.4%Highest VA: 67.3%
Typical home builtmedian year 1996Highest 12 yrs newer than VA 1989Lowest 5 yrs newer than VA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 11% above VA 26 minLowest 5% below VA
Work from home 10.7%±1.2Lowest VA: 18.3% 13.1%±1Highest VA: 18.3%
Work in townworking residents 21.9%Lowest 30.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miHighest 9.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.76Lowest 1.03Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Chesapeake (14%)Virginia Beach (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 14% work in Chesapeake4% work in Suffolk
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 15.5%Lowest 35.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 285.4 miHighest 144.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 28Lowest 70Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 8.9Lowest 22.3Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #152 of 219 in VA#76 of 219 in VA
School district Suffolk City Public SchoolsDepartment of Education State-Operated Educ Prgms · Chesapeake City Public Schools
High school in town King's Fork HighGrassfield High
Students per teacherat that high school 16.2Highest 15.1Lowest
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.

Suffolk neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Suffolk’s Town Square.

Chesapeake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Chesapeake’s Town Square.

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Bordering Suffolk

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Portsmouth97,190 people · $247K homes
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Newport News184,216 people · $261K homes
C
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Carrsville363 people · $243K homes

Towns like Suffolk

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Manassas42,976 people · $450K homes
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Hampton137,557 people · $246K homes
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Roanoke98,355 people · $191K homes
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Leesburg49,171 people · $668K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Virginia towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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