Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Virginia Beach, VA

    Is Virginia Beach a good place to live?

    Watch Virginia Beach

    Virginia Beach ranks #24 of 45 Virginia cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (48/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 0.2% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $366,300
    +6.6% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,649
    per month
    Household income
    $90,685
    median
    Unemployment
    4.3%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Virginia Beach

    The median home value in Virginia Beach is $366,300 and median rent is $1,649 a month, against a median household income of $90,685. Homes cost about 4.0× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Virginia Beach crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Virginia the 2025 rate was 210 violent and 1,394 property crimes per 100,000 people — #33 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Virginia Beach, VA

    Virginia Beach has about 457,066 residents, 4.3% unemployment and 25% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Virginia Beach with

    Virginia Beach vs ChesapeakeVirginia Beach vs ArlingtonVirginia Beach vs NorfolkVirginia Beach vs RichmondVirginia Beach vs Newport NewsVirginia Beach vs AlexandriaVirginia Beach vs HamptonVirginia Beach vs Roanoke

    More: Where to move in Virginia · Best counties in Virginia

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report