Newport News, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Newport News, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Newport News | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 184,065 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1538.7 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.16% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.9 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 76,049 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Newport News declined by 4.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 184,065 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Newport News is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.4% of residents. That is 3.0 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 44,870 24.4% +3.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 42,089 22.9% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 33,226 18.1% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 26,072 14.2% -2.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.3% of the people living in Newport News and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 48.7% Virginia 49.4%
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Economy
Newport News has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Newport News | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,337 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.16% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Newport News is about 26% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Newport News | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $221,283 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,338 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 48.2% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Newport News is about 13.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,338 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Newport News spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Newport News | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.9 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,287 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,405 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,777 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Newport News is 20 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Newport News has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Newport News | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.6% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Health
Newport News has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Newport News | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.2% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Newport News, Virginia.
How many people live in Newport News, Virginia?
About 184,065 people live in Newport News, Virginia, in 76,049 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 32.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Newport News, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Newport News, Virginia has 1,539 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 18 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Newport News, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($221,283 against $69,337), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,338 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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