Chesapeake, VA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

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Chesapeake city · Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News · population 254,997

Big-city amenities
Chesapeake, VA
Image: Wikipedia · Chesapeake, Virginia
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Chesapeake stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 6.7% in the last year.

Median home $422,528
1-year +3.1%
5-yr CAGR +5.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$423k$238k$305k$372k$439k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
30/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
79/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,036/mo$1,379$1,769$2,158202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent131139100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 17.3
Lean buy

At a 17.3 price-to-rent ratio, Chesapeake is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
65 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
56 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
62 · w10%
Long thesis

Chesapeake has held up across the cycle: home values at $422,528 with +5.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Chesapeake's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Chesapeake

Chesapeake is a city in Chesapeake city, Virginia, with an estimated population of 254,997. It anchors the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area. The population grew 0.6% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Chesapeake is $422,528 as of 2026-04, up 3.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Chesapeake average $2,036 per month, up 6.7% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.7% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Chesapeake (Wikipedia)

Chesapeake is an independent city in Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,422, making it the second-most populous city in Virginia, the tenth largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 92nd-most populous city in the United States.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Area350.95 sq mi
Founded1963 (1919 as
Motto"One Increasing Purpose"
Densityauto/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Chesapeake city right now.

NWS active alerts (VA)Virginia Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Chesapeake city routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Chesapeake

14 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Pleasant Grove East$677,946+3.2%
2Pleasant Grove West$661,472+2.4%
3Butts Station$566,801+3.0%
4Great Bridge East$535,425+3.2%
5Great Bridge$521,453+2.7%
6Deep Creek South$505,742+1.6%
7Deep Creek West-Dismal Swamp$486,600+2.7%
8Greenbrier East$441,313+3.8%
9Western Branch South$432,452+3.1%
10Western Branch North$389,217+2.1%
11Greenbrier West$359,200+3.1%
12Deep Creek North$335,887+2.4%
13Indian River$316,997+2.8%
14South Norfolk$298,785+2.5%

Cities like Chesapeake

Virginia Beach, VA68 · RisingRichmond, VA69 · RisingNewport News, VA68 · RisingRoanoke, VA69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Chesapeake

ToolCan I afford Chesapeake?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Chesapeake rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Chesapeake to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolChesapeake cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
47° / 27°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 65°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
205
~56% of year
Annual precip
44″ rain
14″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Chesapeake listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$87,200
Virginia state median
Top industries (state-level)
Government/DefenseTech (NoVa)Shipbuilding

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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