Living in Chesapeake, VA
Big city in Virginia
Chesapeake is a big city in Virginia, home to about 251,000 people, with 1.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Chesapeake a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 4 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Easy flying: ORF is 11 mi away
- Family-friendly: playgrounds, family attractions and plenty of households with kids
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 1.5 million people live within 31 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Chesapeake ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Chesapeake: common questions
What is the cost of living in Chesapeake?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $349k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,380 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 98, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Chesapeake?
Virginia collects about $2,198 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.82% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Chesapeake safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.2× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Chesapeake?
Chesapeake has cool winters: winter days average around 51°F and summer days around 86°F, with roughly 6″ of snow a year.
Does Chesapeake get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hurricanes: 4 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.25 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Chesapeake?
The nearest major airport is ORF, about 11 mi away.
How Chesapeake scores
Each bar compares Chesapeake with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Chesapeake right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.