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

All states·Virginia·Suffolk

Suffolk city · Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News · population 103,105

Growing fast
Suffolk, VA
Image: Wikipedia · Suffolk, Virginia
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
74
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Suffolk stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 2.3% per year. rents up 6.1% in the last year.

Median home $386,146
1-year +2.2%
5-yr CAGR +5.4%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +2.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$386k$211k$275k$338k$402k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
20/100
Very 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
88/100
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
$1,914/mo$1,240$1,635$2,031202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent130145100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.8
Lean buy

At a 16.8 price-to-rent ratio, Suffolk 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
61 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
83 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
64 · w10%
Long thesis

Suffolk has been growing population at 2.3% per year while home values compounded +5.4% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Suffolk'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 Suffolk

Suffolk is a city in Suffolk city, Virginia, with an estimated population of 103,105. It anchors the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News metro area. The population has grown 2.3% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Suffolk is $386,146 as of 2026-04, up 2.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Suffolk average $1,914 per month, up 6.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 74 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 2.3% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.2% 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 6.1% 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 Suffolk (Wikipedia)

Suffolk is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of 2020, the population was 94,324. It is the 10th-most populous city in Virginia, the largest city in Virginia by boundary land area as well as the 14th-largest in the country. Suffolk is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. This also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, and smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads. With miles of waterfront property on the Nansemond and James rivers, present-day Suffolk was formed in 1974 after consolidating with Nansemond County and the towns of Holland and Whaleyville.

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

City facts

Area428.91 sq mi
Elevation39 ft
Founded1742
Densityauto/sq mi

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

Things to see in Suffolk(Attractions)

  • Driver Historic District
  • Great Dismal Swamp
  • Nansemond County Training School
  • Phoenix Bank of Nansemond
  • Riddick's Folly
  • St. John's Church, Chuckatuck
  • Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
  • Suffolk Historic District

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

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 Suffolk city right now.

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

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

Cities like Suffolk

Waynesboro, VA73 · RisingRichmond, VA69 · RisingCulpeper, VA75 · RisingLeesburg, VA65 · Rising

Run the numbers for Suffolk

ToolCan I afford Suffolk?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Suffolk rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Suffolk to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSuffolk 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 Suffolk 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.

Cities similar to Suffolk

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