Chesapeake is a city located in Chesapeake City Virginia. Chesapeake has a 2023 population of 254,479. Chesapeake is currently growing at a rate of 0.64% annually and its population has increased by 1.92% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 249,679 in 2020.
The average household income in Chesapeake is $104,765 with a poverty rate of 7.95%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Chesapeake is 37.1 years, 35.9 years for males, and 38.1 years for females.
Chesapeake is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Chesapeake is not located within a county. Chesapeake is located on the border of North Carolina.
Chesapeake is the third-most populous city in Virginia and the second-largest city by land area in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population density in Chesapeake is 260% higher than the Virginia average and 660% higher than the national average.
English is the primary language in Chesapeake, with 92.41% of residents speaking only English. 7.59% of residents speak another non-English language. The most common non-English language spoken is Spanish, which is spoken by 3.76% of the population.
The Chesapeake population has had a generally steady growth with a few periods of decreasing population, such as a 48.1% decrease from 1950 to 1960. Chesapeake’s largest period of population growth happened between 1940 and 1950, with an increase from 35,828 people to 99.537, or 177.8%. Between 2010 and 2018, Chesapeake’s population is estimated to have grown 9.2%, a little over 1% per year.
Chesapeake has played a significant role in the birth of the United States since the arrival of colonial settlers to the area in 1620. The Virginia Colony was formed in 1691 and Norfolk County included the area encompassing what would become the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and South Norfolk. South Norfolk would later become Chesapeake.
During the American Revolutionary War, the colonists fought and won the Battle of Great Bridge in 1775. The victory resulted in the removal of the British Government from the Colony of Virginia.
South Norfolk became an incorporated town in Norfolk County in 1919 and became an independent city in 1922. The residents of South Norfolk wanted to put their jurisdiction on equal ground with the larger cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth; however, South Norfolk was about to lose all of the county land adjoining it to the city of Norfolk. In 1963, Chesapeake was formed as a new independent city of South Norfolk consolidated with Norfolk County.
Up until the late 1980s and 1990s, Chesapeake remained relatively rural or suburban and served as a bedroom community for Norfolk and Virginia. Chesapeake residents typically commuted to these larger cities from Chesapeake. During and after this period, Chesapeake started to experience significant growth in both the population and industries and businesses. While the growth was mostly positive, it did come with several issues, such as strains on municipal infrastructure.
Chesapeake hosted the first trial of alleged Beltway sniper Lee Boyd Malvo for shootings in 2002. A jury convicted him of murder and sentenced him to life in prison without parole. Chesapeake made national headlines for the trial.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Chesapeake was:
3.18
Average Family Size
2.71
Average Household Size
72.7%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
91.25% of Chesapeake residents speak only English, while 8.75% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 3.83% of the population.
7.95%
Overall Poverty Rate
6.92%
Male Poverty Rate
8.92%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Chesapeake is Hispanic, with 17.98% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Chesapeake is White, with 5.89% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.7%. Among those working part-time, it was 9.95%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 12.57%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
53.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
56.0%
Male Marriage Rate
51.6%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
2.81%
Veteran Poverty Rate
19.29%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
67%
Labor Force Participation
59.4%
Employment Rate
5.1%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
49.73%
Born in Chesapeake
92.2%
Native Born
6.17%
Foreign Born
2.42%
Non Citizen
3.75%
Naturalized
92.2% of Chesapeake residents were born in the United States, with 49.73% having been born in Virginia. 2.42% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.