Chesapeake, Virginia Population 2023

257,585

Chesapeake is a city located in Virginia. With a 2023 population of 257,585, it is the 2nd largest city in Virginia and the 90th largest city in the United States.Chesapeake is currently growing at a rate of 1.07% annually and its population has increased by 3.27% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 249,422 in 2020. Spanning over 351 miles, Chesapeake has a population density of 761 people per square mile.

The average household income in Chesapeake is $97,038 with a poverty rate of 9.14%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Chesapeake is 37 years, 35.7 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.

Chesapeake Diversity and Language

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.

Chesapeake Population Growth

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.

Chesapeake Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Chesapeake was:

  • White: 59.65%
  • Black or African American: 29.67%
  • Two or more races: 5.21%
  • Asian: 3.41%
  • Other race: 1.83%
  • Native American: 0.22%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.01%
The current population of Chesapeake, Virginia is 257,585 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 249,422.

Chesapeake, Virginia Population 2023

Population by Race

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Chesapeake Population by Race

Chesapeake Population Pyramid 2023

Chesapeake Median Age

37

Total

35.7

Male

38.1

Female

Chesapeake Adults

There are 183,764 adults, (32,095 of whom are seniors) in Chesapeake.

Chesapeake Age Dependency

60

Age Dependency Ratio

21.2

Old Age Dependency Ratio

38.8

Child Dependency Ratio

Chesapeake Sex Ratio

Female124,04351.12%
Male118,60448.88%

Chesapeake Population by Age

Chesapeake Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.2

Average Family Size

2.75

Average Household Size

72.3%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Chesapeake Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Chesapeake Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Chesapeake Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 43.34%.

Chesapeake Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$47,393

Average Earnings

$57,636

Average Male

$38,703

Average Female

Chesapeake Earnings by Educational Attainment

Chesapeake Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Chesapeake Language

91.46% of Chesapeake residents speak only English, while 8.54% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4% of the population.

Chesapeake Language

Chesapeake Poverty by Race

rate

9.14%

Overall Poverty Rate

6.7%

Male Poverty Rate

8.22%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Chesapeake

The race most likely to be in poverty in Chesapeake is Islander, with 21.74% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Chesapeake is Asian, with 5.2% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.65%. Among those working part-time, it was 9.3%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 11.83%.

Chesapeake Poverty

Chesapeake Poverty Rate by Education

Chesapeake Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Chesapeake Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Chesapeake Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

53.8%

Overall Marriage Rate

55.8%

Male Marriage Rate

52.0%

Female Marriage Rate

Chesapeake Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Chesapeake Marriage

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.

Chesapeake Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Chesapeake Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

27,280

Number of Veterans

22,335

Male Veterans

4,945

Female Veterans

Chesapeake Veterans by War

Chesapeake Veterans by Age

count

Chesapeake Veterans by Race

Chesapeake Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

2.77%

Veteran Poverty Rate

19.23%

Veteran Disability Rate

Chesapeake Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

66.4%

Labor Force Participation

59%

Employment Rate

5.2%

Unemployment Rate

Chesapeake Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Chesapeake Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Chesapeake Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

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.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

49.3%

Born in Chesapeake

91.45%

Native Born

5.83%

Foreign Born

2.37%

Non Citizen

3.46%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

91.45% of Chesapeake residents were born in the United States, with 49.3% having been born in Virginia. 2.37% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Chesapeake Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Chesapeake Population by Year