Richmond receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Richmond
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Opportunity
59 · Top 43%
vs53 · Bottom 45%
Growth
60 · Top 34%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
75 · Top 19%
vs76 · Top 16%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 21%
vs83 · Top 10%
Housing affordability
83 · Bottom 24%
vs79 · Bottom 20%
Access
95 · Top 17%
vs87 · Top 30%
Economic stability
87 · Top 7%
vs81 · Top 13%
Measured values
| Metric | Richmond | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,341,248 | 1,787,235 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,679 | $82,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,682 | $44,050 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 307/sq mi | 558/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $353,500 | $340,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,447 | $1,478 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.0% | 63.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.1% | 35.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8,722 | 5,224 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.4% | 13.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 34°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.5" | 45.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.8 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Richmond
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, drought.
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Richmond
76
Your Score
72
Area Score
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
72
Your Score
69
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Richmond, VA Metro Area · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology