County profile

Norfolk city

Virginia · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
233,596
Median household income
$66,109
People below poverty
16.5%
Median home value
$289,900

Income

The median income of households in Norfolk city, Virginia was $66,109. An estimated 6.3% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 7.9% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 6.3
$10,000 to $14,999 4
$15,000 to $24,999 7.3
$25,000 to $34,999 7.6
$35,000 to $49,999 12.7
$50,000 to $74,999 18.4
$75,000 to $99,999 12.3
$100,000 to $149,999 16
$150,000 to $199,999 7.5
$200,000 or more 7.9

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 53817
Female 46974

An estimated 81.8% of households received earnings. An estimated 25.2% of households received Social Security and an estimated 23.3 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $20,920. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 81.8
Social Security 25.2
Retirement income 23.3
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 6.2
Cash public assistance income 3.3

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 16.5 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 25.2% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 13.4% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 14.2% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 16.5
Children under 18 years below poverty 25.2
People 65 years old and over below poverty 13.4
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 14.2

In 2020-2024, 17 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 47.4% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 35.7% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 40.6% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024, 90.9% had health insurance coverage and 9.1% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 64.2% and public coverage was 40.3%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 5.5%.


In 2020-2024, Norfolk city, Virginia had a total population of 233,596 - 115,262 (49.3%) females and 118,334 (50.7%) males. The median age was 32.7 years. An estimated 20.3% of the population was under 18 years, 42.7% was 19 to 44 years, 20.4% was 45 to 64 years, and 13 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 7633 7341
5 to 9 7269 6418
10 to 14 5782 6143
15 to 19 7882 7436
20 to 24 15340 10752
25 to 29 12679 10642
30 to 34 10823 9710
35 to 39 8379 7728
40 to 44 6870 6777
45 to 49 5368 5587
50 to 54 5343 5912
55 to 59 5906 6434
60 to 64 6041 6961
65 to 69 5069 6023
70 to 74 3587 4499
75 to 79 2303 3280
80 to 84 1283 1692
85 and over 777 1927

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 43.2% were White; 39.6% were Black or African American; 6% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 3.7% were Asian; 17.4% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 9% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 10.1% of the people in Norfolk city, Virginia were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 41.2% of the people in Norfolk city, Virginia were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 94,965 households in Norfolk city, Virginia. The average household size was 2.25 people.

Married-couple households made up 32.9% of the households in Norfolk city, Virginia while cohabiting couple households made up 7.7% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 36.2% of all households, while 23.3% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 16.2% of households were male householders living alone, and 19.2% were female householders living alone, for a total of 35.4% of all households.

In Norfolk city, Virginia, 27% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 25% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 32.9
Cohabiting Couples 7.7
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
23.3
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
36.2

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 38.3% of males and 34.6% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 48 41
Now married, except separated 38.3 34.6
Separated 1.8 2.3
Widowed 2.3 7.5
Divorced 9.6 14.6

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Norfolk city, Virginia, 4,052 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 39.4% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 92.1% of the people living in Norfolk city, Virginia were U.S. natives. 47.7% of the Norfolk city, Virginia population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 7.9% of Norfolk city, Virginia residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 54% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 56 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Norfolk city, Virginia come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Norfolk city, Virginia.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 37.5
Asia 35.1
Europe 13.8
Africa 11
Northern America 2
Oceania 0.7

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024, 11.8 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 5.9% of people at least five years old; 3.5% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 5.9
Other Indo-European languages 2.5
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 2.7
Other languages 0.7

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 80.5 % of the people at least one year old living in Norfolk city, Virginia were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 80.5
Different house, same county 7.4
Different county, same state 5.8
Different state 5.4
Abroad 0.9

Education

In 2020-2024, 90.2 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 33.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 9.7% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Norfolk city, Virginia was 57,559 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 2,959 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 31,683. College or graduate school enrollment was 22,917.

Educational Attainment of People in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 9.7
High school diploma or equivalency 24.7
Some college, no degree 23.8
Associate's degree 8.3
Bachelor's degree 19.4
Graduate or professional degree 14.1

Disability

In Norfolk city, Virginia, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 15.1 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 5.1% of people under 18 years old, to 14% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 35.7% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Norfolk city, Virginia, 54 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 30.2% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 75.6% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 20.6% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 3.7 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 77,785 75.6
Federal, state, or local government workers 21,185 20.6
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 3,841 3.7

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Norfolk city, Virginia worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 0.2
Construction 6.1
Manufacturing 7.4
Wholesale trade 1.6
Retail trade 11.1
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 5.6
Information 1.3
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 6.1
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 12.8
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 25
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 10.5
Other Services, except public administration 4.8
Public administration 7.4

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 41,194 40
Service occupations 19,283 18.7
Sales and office occupations 21,541 20.9
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 8,503 8.3
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 12,394 12

Commuting to Work

An estimated 70.6% of Norfolk city, Virginia workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 9.5% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 23 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 70.6
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 9.5
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 2.6
Walked 5
Other means 2.2
Worked from home 10.2

In 2020-2024, Norfolk city, Virginia had a total of 103,524 housing units. Of these housing units, 56.4% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 42.8% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 0.7% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 56.4
Apartments in multi-unit structures 42.8
Mobile homes 0.7
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.1

9.2% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 15.4% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Norfolk city, Virginia was 5.3 rooms, and of these housing units 53.8% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Norfolk city, Virginia had 94,965 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 8,559 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 46.3% while renters occupied 53.7%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.41 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.12.

7.6% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 7.4% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 11.5% and another 15.3% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Norfolk city, Virginia:

House Heating Fuel Used in Norfolk city, Virginia in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 37.4
Electricity 59
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 1.6
All other fuels 0.7
No fuel used 1.4

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Norfolk city, Virginia was $289,900.

Of the owner-occupied households, 72 % had a mortgage. 28% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,913 and for owners without a mortgage it was $684.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Norfolk city, Virginia was $1,321. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.