St. John's Church · National Register of Historic Places
Suffolk’s story
284 years in pictures
26 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1742Suffolk is settled
SuffolkVA
A city of 98,796, settled in 1742. Home to 26 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: User: Kubigula · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
98,796
+11.5% since 2010
Typical home
$390K
+2.7% in a year
Household income
$93K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
30,435
Balanced
What makes Suffolk stand out
The 3 things Suffolk does most differently from other towns.
St. John's ChurchHistory
Settled in 1742
26 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 284 years.
$390Ktypical home
Housing
$390K typical home
6% below the VA typical home
Up 2.7% in a year.
Outdoors
#28 most conserved land in VA
285 miles of trails across 28 parks and preserves
15.5% of the town is conserved land.
A growing town
Suffolk has grown 11.5% since 2010
84,585 people in 2010; 98,796 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Suffolk’s report card
Housing$390K6% below the VA typical homeOutdoors285 miof trails · 15.5% conservedHealthC+Healthier than 42% of U.S. townsSchoolsC−Beats 20% of VA districtsSafetyCLess crime than 26% of U.S. townsHazards29/100Low risk of storm & flood damageClimate89°/30°Summer high · winter low · 4″ snowCommute17 miHalf of commuters travel less
Now in Suffolk
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Suffolk is #253 of 255 in VA for “Most walkable”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Suffolk’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →81°
Partly Sunny
H 83° · L 63°
Local news
All →- King's Fork vs Western Branch - Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball 09/30/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 30
- Nansemond River vs Hickory - Boys Varsity Volleyball 09/29/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 29
- Basketball On Demand Games - King's Fork High School - Suffolk, VANFHS Network · Sep 25
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Suffolk. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Suffolk home is worth about $390K
The typical Suffolk home is worth about $390,000, up 2.7% in a year, 6% below the Virginia typical home.
$390KZillow home value
Typical home value
Suffolk$390K
Virginia$415K
Market temperature
46
days on market
99.3%
sale-to-list price
+2.7%
value change, 1 year
160
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
15.5% of Suffolk is conserved land
285 miles of trails across 28 parks and preserves.
15.5%conserved
15.5%
conserved · 42,307 of 273,082 acres
285 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
#28
most conserved land in VA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge | 34.9 mi | 34,901 |
| 2. South Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve | 19.9 mi | 2,994 |
| 3. Lone Star Lakes Park | 7.2 mi | 1,001 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 42% of U.S. towns
Suffolk beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Virginia
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Suffolk | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.8% | 7.1% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 14.1% | 10.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 16.5% | 13.1% |
Sentara Obici Hospital
6.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
37th
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Suffolk’s public schools outperform 20% of Virginia districts
The public schools Suffolk’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 80% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Bowser Elementary | PK–5 | 926 | B− |
| Northern Shores Elementary | PK–5 | 798 | B |
| Hillpoint Elementary | PK–5 | 780 | C− |
| Creekside Elementary | PK–5 | 764 | C+ |
| Mack Benn Jr. Elementary | PK–5 | 713 | D |
| Elephant's Fork Elementary | PK–5 | 653 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduationAll 24 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 26% of U.S. towns
Suffolk reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 74% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 62%.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Suffolk3.6
Virginia2.1
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Suffolk12.3
Virginia13.9
U.S.15.5
26th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
33rd
percentile among VA towns
381
violent crimes reported in 2025
1,302
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 29% of U.S. communities.
29risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesDrought
163
paid flood claims since 1978
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Suffolk has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–53°
Spring47–70°
Summer66–87°
Fall50–72°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Apr 7
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in five working residents works right in Suffolk
About one in 5 of Suffolk’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Chesapeake (14%), Norfolk (13%) and Virginia Beach (10%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
22%work in town
Where working residents work
In Suffolk22%
Chesapeake14%
Norfolk13%
Virginia Beach10%
Newport News9%
17 mi
median commute distance
30,435
jobs based in Suffolk
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Get outside
285 miles of trails in Suffolk
15.5% of the town is conserved land, across 28 parks and preserves.
2
South Quay Sandhills Natural Area Preserve19.9 mi of trails · 2,994 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Landmarks
26 places in Suffolk on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Suffolk
Independent city in the United States
Suffolk (locally SUF-uuk) is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of 2020, the population was 94,324. It is the 10th-most populous city in Virginia, the largest city in Virginia by boundary land area as well as the 16th-largest in the country. Suffolk is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. This also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, and smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads. With miles of waterfront property on the Nansemond and James rivers, present-day Suffolk was formed in 1974 after consolidating with Nansemond County and the towns of Holland and Whaleyville.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1742
- Population
- 94,324
- Area
- 429 sq mi
- Elevation
- 36 ft
- ZIP code
- 23432, 23433, 23434
- Area code
- 757
Suffolk’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Suffolk.
PortsmouthChesapeakeNewport NewsCarrsvilleSuffolk
More about Suffolk
Still missing for Suffolk:archive photosupcoming events