Chesapeake city, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Chesapeake city, Virginia has a population of 252,583 across 341 square miles, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $15.25 bn in 2024, 5,867 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 198 7(a) approvals worth $95.1 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Chesapeake city
How many people live in Chesapeake city
- Population252,583
- Households93,626
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$95,373
- Median age37.9
- Median gross rent$1,586 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$378,400
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over171,369
- Population under 1861,025
- Share under 1824.2 percent
- Population 65 and over36,797
- Share 65 and over14.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64154,761
- Civilian labor force124,823
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.2 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia independent cities7th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents285th
Chesapeake city is the 7th largest of 133 Virginia independent cities by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.2 percent against 14.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chesapeake city
Is Chesapeake city's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.28 percent
- Census 2020 base population249,302
- Births, 20242,856
- Deaths, 20241,986
- Natural change, 2024870
- Net domestic migration, 2024-447
- Net international migration, 2024601
- Total net migration, 2024154
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024552
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1082nd
The county has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chesapeake city
Where are people moving to Chesapeake city from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving10,434
- People arriving, from those returns20,332
- Adjusted gross income arriving$668.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$64,080
- Largest single originChesapeake city Non-migrants (87,521 households)
- Largest single destination (87,521 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake city Non-migrants | 87,521 | 183,967 | $7.65 bn |
| Virginia Beach city | 2,553 | 4,932 | $170.9 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,395 | 4,644 | $155.6 m |
| Norfolk city | 1,293 | 2,410 | $60.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,230 | 2,387 | $74.1 m |
| Portsmouth city | 880 | 1,701 | $40.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 511 | 967 | $36.4 m |
| Suffolk city | 450 | 853 | $29.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Chesapeake city Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Chesapeake city
What is the Chesapeake city economy?
- County GDP, 2024$15.25 bn
- County GDP, 2023$14.53 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.9 percent
- GDP change over five years33.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia independent cities13th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents325th
- GDP per resident$60,363
Output grew 4.9 percent in the latest year and 33.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Chesapeake city
Largest employers in Chesapeake city
- Covered employment, annual average104,662
- Establishments reporting6,889
- Average annual pay$58,825
- Average weekly wage$1,131
- Sector 44-45, employment13,111
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,074
- Sector 62, employment10,620
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,452
- Sector 72, employment9,958
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,468
- Sector 23, employment9,564
- Sector 23, average annual pay$77,126
- Sector 54, employment7,582
- Sector 56, employment6,903
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 13,111 | 669 | $38,074 |
| Sector 62 | 10,620 | 1,360 | $57,452 |
| Sector 72 | 9,958 | 530 | $23,468 |
| Sector 23 | 9,564 | 727 | $77,126 |
| Sector 54 | 7,582 | 663 | $87,779 |
| Sector 56 | 6,903 | 397 | $46,394 |
| Sector 48-49 | 6,154 | 256 | $52,538 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,424 | 182 | $73,744 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 13,111 jobs, 12.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Chesapeake city
How many businesses are in Chesapeake city?
- Establishments, all industries5,867
- Employment at those establishments100,552
- Annual payroll$5.55 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Chesapeake city
Building permits in Chesapeake city
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024597
- Declared construction value permitted$274.7 m
- Single family units authorised597
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$460,073
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chesapeake city
SBA loans in Chesapeake city (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded198
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$95.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$480,163
- Median 7(a) approval$158,400
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,272,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,794
- Jobs per approval14.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active51
- Distinct industries receiving approvals104
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms13
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter166
- Franchise loans51
- Franchise share of approvals25.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countOffices of Dentists (6)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (18)
- 504 approvals recorded126
- 504 gross approval dollars$85.4 m
- Average 504 approval$677,635
- Median 504 approval$451,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval9.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.9
- Most active CDC504 Capital Corporation (97)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals61.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$180.5 m
The average approval of $480,163 sits well above the median of $158,400, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 6.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chesapeake city
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Chesapeake city
Do SBA loans in Chesapeake city get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded26
- Paid in full23
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans11.5 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure132
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Cancelled31
- Status: Paid in full23
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed9
Of the 26 loans that have reached a final outcome, 11.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chesapeake city
SBA lending by place in Chesapeake city
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- CHESAPEAKE, approvals196
- VIRGINIA BEACH, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CHESAPEAKE | 196 | $94,111,700 |
| VIRGINIA BEACH | 2 | $960,500 |
CHESAPEAKE accounts for 196 approvals against 2 in VIRGINIA BEACH. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chesapeake city
How large is Chesapeake city?
- Land area341 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia independent cities57th of 133
- Width, east to west23.5 mi
- Height, north to south21.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land741
- Establishments per square mile17.21
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Chesapeake city site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Chesapeake city site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population252,583
- Households93,626
- Average household size2.70
- Median household income$95,373
- Median age37.9
Common questions
Chesapeake city questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chesapeake city, Virginia?
252,583, in 93,626 households, ranking 7th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chesapeake city's population growing?
The population has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,856 births against 1,986 deaths, with net migration of 154. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chesapeake city?
$95,373. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $378,400, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,586 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Chesapeake city?
5,867 establishments, employing 100,552 people with an annual payroll of $5.55 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Chesapeake city?
Average annual pay is $58,825, or $1,131 a week, across 104,662 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chesapeake city?
198 7(a) approvals totalling $95.1 m since FY2020, across 51 lenders, with a median approval of $158,400, plus 126 504 approvals worth $85.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Chesapeake city get paid back?
Of the 26 loans that have reached a final outcome, 23 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 11.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Chesapeake city?
597 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $274.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chesapeake city?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Chesapeake city come from?
The largest single origin is Chesapeake city Non-migrants, with 87,521 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,080 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Chesapeake city on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Chesapeake city?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.