Newport News, VA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Virginia·Newport News

Newport News city · Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News · population 183,056

First-time buyers
Newport News, VA
Image: Wikipedia · Newport News, Virginia
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
68
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Newport News stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 7.2% in the last year.

Median home $294,407
1-year +1.7%
5-yr CAGR +6.1%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$294k$157k$207k$256k$306k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
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
$1,593/mo$1,060$1,374$1,689202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent135141100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.4
Lean buy

At a 15.4 price-to-rent ratio, Newport News 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
59 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
70 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
39 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
66 · w10%
Long thesis

Newport News has held up across the cycle: home values at $294,407 with +6.1% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Newport News'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 Newport News

Newport News is a city in Newport News city, Virginia, with an estimated population of 183,056. It anchors the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area. The median home value in Newport News is $294,407 as of 2026-04, up 1.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Newport News average $1,593 per month, up 7.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 68 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.1% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 7.2% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
●Rental squeeze: rents up 7.2% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.

About Newport News (Wikipedia)

Newport News is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the fifth-most populous city in Virginia and 140th-most populous city in the United States. The city is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the northern shore of the James River to the river's mouth on the harbor of Hampton Roads.

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

City facts

MayorPhillip Jones (D)
Area119.62 sq mi
Elevation15 ft
Settled1691
Density2699.62/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 Newport News city right now.

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

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

Neighborhoods of Newport News

23 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Hidenwood$471,725+2.7%
2Warwick on the James$439,647+3.9%
3Riverside$418,840+2.7%
4Brandon Heights$405,249+2.9%
5Deep Creek$376,616+0.0%
6Wellesley$341,209+2.1%
7Glendale$328,251+4.1%
8Kiln Creek$323,614+3.1%
9Oyster Point$313,952-0.4%
10Rivermont$311,658-0.1%
11Denbigh-Warwick$305,125+2.6%
12Warwick$301,006+0.6%
13Morrison$300,914+2.8%
14Hilton Village$285,985-0.6%
15Watkins$285,606+1.2%
16Deer Park$282,192+0.2%
17Denbigh$266,978-0.0%
18Huntington Heights$253,939-4.1%
19North Hilton$238,937-0.8%
20Newmarket$226,209+1.2%
21Briarfield$197,757-1.2%
22Reed$186,825+10.1%
23Marshall-Ridley$185,640+1.8%

Cities like Newport News

Richmond, VA69 · RisingRoanoke, VA69 · RisingPortsmouth, VA64 · RisingLynchburg, VA66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Newport News

ToolCan I afford Newport News?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Newport News rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Newport News to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolNewport News 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 Newport News 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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