Newport News and Norfolk receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Newport News
Norfolk
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 20%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Growth
14 · Bottom 4%
vs34 · Bottom 22%
Climate
78 · Top 21%
vs76 · Top 26%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 18%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs71 · Bottom 35%
Schools
18 · Bottom 9%
vs23 · Bottom 15%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs88 · Bottom 37%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 42%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Newport News | Norfolk | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 184,216 | 233,596 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,634 | $66,109 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,773 | $39,457 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,670/sq mi | 4,385/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $260,600 | $289,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,339 | $1,321 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.2% | 46.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 33.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 16.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 86 | 483 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.5 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -84.4% | 50.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 31°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.1" | 45.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 20 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.1 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 32.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 49 | 53 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.98 | 13.48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 31.9% | 26.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.5% | 49.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 98.2% | 98.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Newport News
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Norfolk
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Newport News
58
Your Score
55
Area Score
Norfolk
59
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Newport News, VA · Norfolk, VA · How this is calculated: methodology