About one in 3 of Norfolk’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Virginia Beach (22%), Chesapeake (13%) and Portsmouth (4%). Half commute less than 8 miles.

36%work in town

Where working residents work

In Norfolk36%

Virginia Beach22%

Chesapeake13%

Portsmouth4%

Newport News4%

8 mi

median commute distance

121,592

jobs based in Norfolk

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →

Housing

A typical Norfolk home is worth about $312K

The typical Norfolk home is worth about $312,000, up 1.3% in a year, 25% below the Virginia typical home.

$312KZillow home value

Typical home value

Norfolk$312K

Virginia$415K

Market temperature

days on market

100%

sale-to-list price

+1.3%

value change, 1 year

287

homes sold in May

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Schools

Norfolk’s public schools outperform 6% of Virginia districts

The public schools Norfolk’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 94% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

DSchool Grade

School	Grades	Students	Grade
Crossroads PreK-8 School	PK–8	790	D
Southside STEM Academy at Campostella	K–8	686	D−
Lake Taylor	K–8	664	D
Jacox Elementary	PK–5	596	D−
Larrymore Elementary	PK–5	584	C
Little Creek Elementary	PK–5	583	D

NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduationAll 78 schools →

Safety

Less crime per resident than 8% of U.S. towns

Norfolk reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less.

DSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Norfolk4

Virginia2.1

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Norfolk31.5

Virginia13.9

U.S.15.5

8th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

6th

percentile among VA towns

913

violent crimes reported in 2025

7,256

property crimes reported in 2025

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →

Health

Healthier than 41% of U.S. towns

Norfolk beats the Virginia average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.

C+Health Grade

32 measures vs. Virginia

4 better16 too close to call12 worse

What stands out	Norfolk	VA
Fewer adults who have had cancer	5.4%	7.7%
Fewer adults with arthritis	22.6%	26.2%
More adults without reliable transportation	12.2%	7.4%

Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters

5.3 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

36th

percentile among VA towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →

Outdoors

4.4% of Norfolk is conserved land

33 miles of trails across 49 parks and preserves.

4.4%conserved

Map of Norfolk: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk — Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below

4.4%

conserved · 2,676 of 61,393 acres

33 mi

of trails · 0.3 per sq mi

#112

most walkable in VA

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Tarrallton Park	0.9 mi	36
2. Poplar Hall Park	0.3 mi	20
3. Northside Park	0.1 mi	50

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →

Natural hazards

Low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 22% of U.S. communities.

22risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes

4,748

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

Climate

Four seasons, hot summers

Norfolk has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

6″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter35–52°

Spring50–68°

Summer70–86°

Fall55–71°

Nov 23

typical first frost

Mar 17

typical last frost

+1.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →

Landmarks

67 places in Norfolk on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Norfolk AcademyBuilt 1728

Moses Myers House

U.S. Customhouse

St. Paul's Church

Famous people from Norfolk

33 notable people were born in Norfolk.

See all 33 →

Patrick WilsonAmerican actor · born 1973

Grant GustinAmerican actor and singer · born 1990

Scott TravisAmerican drummer · born 1961

Lewis BinfordAmerican archaeologist · 1931–2011

Eddie HolmanAmerican singer and musician · born 1946

Pernell WhitakerAmerican boxer · 1964–2019

About Norfolk

Independent city in Virginia, United States

Official town website ↗

Norfolk (locally NOR-fək) is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in both the Hampton Roads metropolitan area and in Virginia, after neighboring cities Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, as well as the 101st-most populous city in the United States. The city holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads area (sometimes called "Tidewater"), which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Norfolk was established in 1682 as a colonial seaport. Strategically located at the confluence…

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