Official Federal Data
Newport News city, Virginia
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · Population 184,216
9 Sources
Updated August 12, 2026
$69,634 up from the baseline named below
Median Income (nominal) vs 2019
$80,734 national
4% up from the baseline named below
Unemployment vs 2024
4.3% national
$18.8B down from the baseline named below
GDP (nominal) real change vs 2023
30.6% up from the baseline named below
Bachelor's+ vs 2019
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household (nominal)
$69,634 up from 2019 vs 2019
Per Capita
$38,773 up from 2019 vs 2019
Mean Household
$90,039 up from 2019 vs 2019
Median Household (cost-of-living adjusted)
$71,128 metro RPP 97.9
Poverty Rate
14.5% down from 2019 vs 2019
Median Income Comparison
Newport News city$69,634
Virginia$93,170
National$80,734
Newport News city is $23,536 (25.3%) below the Virginia median.
Cost-of-living adjustment uses the BEA all-items regional price parity for Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, 97.9 against a national average of 100 (2024). BEA publishes regional price parity at state and metropolitan level only; there is no county figure, so the metro index stands in for Newport News city and the adjusted median is an approximation. Per capita and mean household income above are nominal and carry no adjustment.
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
CohortsShare of total population
Under 18 · 23.2%
18-34 · 27.9%
35-54 · 23.3%
55-64 · 11.6%
65+ · 14.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
92%
High School+
National: 89.6%
up from national +2.4 pts vs national
30.6%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
down from national 5.1 pts vs national
11.5%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
down from national 2.6 pts vs national
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
184,216
Population
97,810
Labor Force
Employed
84,458
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4% up from 2024 +0.5 pts vs 2024
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
10.2%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Key Takeaways
- Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
- Below the state median: Median household income runs $23,536 (25.3%) under the Virginia median, so statewide income averages overstate local household buying power.
- Elevated poverty: At 14.5%, the rate is in economically distressed territory and supports federal funding narratives (CDFI, NMTC, EDA).
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 5.1 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
- Young population: Median age of 34 is materially below the U.S. norm, a workforce pipeline asset.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
$18.8B down from 2023 -0.4% vs 2023
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
-0.4% real (inflation-adjusted)
·
+2.8% nominal
· 2023 to 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · level and nominal change from CAGDP2 (current dollars); real change from CAGDP9 (chained 2017 dollars), both all-industry total. The two series agree in 2017, the chain reference year, and diverge by the amount of price change since.
97.9
Cost of Living · metro · Below Avg
Key Takeaways
- Largest private-sector industry: Manufacturing employs 28,695 workers (36.5% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $80,557. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 16,146 and is counted separately.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $18.8B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Management of Companies and Enterprises averages $172,416 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $24,570, a 7.0x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064, B25004
$260,600 up from the baseline named below
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,339 up from the baseline named below
Rent/Mo vs 2019
48.2% down from the baseline named below
Owner-Occ vs 2019
7.2% down from the baseline named below
Vacancy vs 2019
3.2% available
for rent or sale
for rent or sale
3.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
HUD publishes these by FMR area, which may cover more than one county · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$1,492/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,512/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,713/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,376/mo
4 Bedroom
$2,797/mo
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,303/mo, from a renter median of $52,116) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 48.9% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 23.7% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.7x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- Renter-majority market: 48.2% owner-occupied; flexible labor mobility but consider home-buying pipeline if attracting families.
- Rent affordability gap: None of the 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $52,116 can pay without cost burden (~$1,303/mo), and 48.9% of renter households are already cost-burdened, 23.7% severely so; workforce housing cost burden warrants attention.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23001, B23025, B08303, B08301
115,518 up from the baseline named below
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
10.2%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
76.9%
of prime-age population
Prime-age rate numerator is civilian employed (B23001); the denominator is total population aged 25-54 (B01001), which also includes armed forces.
of population age 16 and over (145,744)
unchanged from 2019 vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
30.6% up from 2019 vs 2019
HS Diploma+
92% up from 2019 vs 2019
Institutions in Newport News city
5 institutions in Newport News city reporting credentials to College Scorecard
Credentials awarded in Newport News city
1,463/yr
1,227/yr
178/yr
23/yr
23/yr
12/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
18.5%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 11.6% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
36.6%
Service
18.5%
Sales & Office
20.1%
Construction / Maint.
9.4%
Production / Transport
15.4%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 40% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 84,458 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Healthy participation: 67.1% labor force participation reflects a steady, available local workforce.
- Talent pipeline: 5 institutions in Newport News city award 1,463 credentials a year. Employers drawing from a wider labor shed should read this alongside institutions outside the county, which this page does not aggregate.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 9 federal data sources.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2024 annual
BLS LAUS2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
BEA Regional Price Parity2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
American Community Survey figures on this page are 2020-2024 five-year averages rather than single-year counts. A five-year estimate pools 60 months of survey responses, so each value describes the period as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Newport News city, Virginia, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Newport News city, Virginia?
184,216 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Newport News city, Virginia?
$69,634 in nominal dollars (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates). Adjusted for local prices using the BEA all-items regional price parity for Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (97.9 against a national average of 100), that is $71,128 at national average prices. BEA publishes regional price parity at metro level; there is no county-level figure.
What is the unemployment rate in Newport News city, Virginia?
4% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Newport News city, Virginia?
$18.8B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP2).
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