Chincoteague ( or ) is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. The town includes the whole of Chincoteague Island and an area of adjacent water. The population was 3,344 at the 2020 census. The town is a tourist gateway to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on adjacent Assateague Island, the location of a popular recreational beach and home of the Virginia herd of Chincoteague Ponies. These ponies and the annual Pony Swim are the subject of Marguerite Henry's 1947 children's book Misty of Chincoteague, which was made into the 1961 family film Misty, filmed on location.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Chincoteague ranks

All →

#6Most conserved land in VA #10Shortest commute in VA #11Most new homes in VA All VA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code23336

Area code757

Living in Chincoteague

Housing in Chincoteague

$371K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Chincoteague home is worth about $371,000, about the same as a year ago, 11% below the Virginia typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Chincoteague

B⁻

Safety Grade B-

Chincoteague reports less crime per resident than 52% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Chincoteague 1.8

Virginia 2.1

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Chincoteague 9.8

Virginia 13.9

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Chincoteague

Full picture →

About one in 4 of Chincoteague’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Accomac (5%), Salisbury (3%) and Chesapeake (3%). Half commute less than 31 miles.

Accomac

Salisbury, MD

Chesapeake

Washington, DC

26%Work in townlive and work in Chincoteague 31 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 945Jobs based herea commuter town

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Chincoteague →

Health in Chincoteague

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 48% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 70% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Virginia

9better than VA·9worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 14 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits all close Care 4▲ 3 close Mind 1▲ 1▼ 3 close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

7.7%Fewer adults facing housing insecurityVA 10.9% · better 5.4%Fewer adults facing a utility shut-offVA 7.1% · better 12.6%More adults who have had cancerVA 7.7% · worse

Care nearby

Riverside Shore Memorial HospitalOnancock · 26.6 mi · ER

Chincoteague Island Comm Hlth CtrChincoteague Island · 1.8 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Chincoteague · CMS · HRSAHealth in Chincoteague →

Natural hazards in Chincoteague

Very high

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Coastal flooding🌀 Hurricanes🌊 Inland flooding

114Does Chincoteague flood?paid flood claims since 1989 4Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Chincoteague

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Chincoteague →

Climate in Chincoteague

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Chincoteague has mild winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

48° / 32°Winter

63° / 47°Spring

84° / 68°Summer

69° / 53°Fall

How much snow does Chincoteague get?About 8 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Nov 11, with the last in spring around Mar 31.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.7° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Chincoteague →

Schools in Chincoteague

All Chincoteague schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Chincoteague’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 72% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

#79Best public schoolsof 219 in VA

DistrictAccomack County Public SchoolsSchools2

Chincoteague Elementary C+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 241 students Chincoteague High A-High · Grades 6–12 · 271 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within VA. Ratings are from neighbors.