Virginia · GEOID 51800

Suffolk city

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 98,796 · 40,499 housing units

Median household income

$92,666

State $99,933

Median home value

$347,400

State $421,251

Median gross rent

$1,563

State $1,592

Homeownership rate

70.7%

State 67.3%

Renter cost-burden rate

57.0%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

25.0%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

1.0%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

3.4%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

6.4%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

3.75

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Suffolk city	Virginia
Population	98,796	8,705,170
Population density (per sq. mi.)	247.51	—
Median household income	$92,666	$99,933
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$107,700	—
Households	37,908	—
Average household size	2.58 people	—
Owner-occupied	70.7%	67.3%
Renter-occupied	29.3%	32.7%
Race	46.5% White · 42.0% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Suffolk city compared with Virginia.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

33.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 42.2%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	13.0%	$64,269	$1,607	$208,212
1 earner	33.2%	$79,513	$1,988	$264,955
2 earners	41.5%	$136,818	$3,420	$478,263
3+ earners	12.3%	$170,327	$4,258	$602,995

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

37,908

Average size: 2.58 people

Households with children

10,930

28.8% of households

Per-capita income

$45,819

Poverty rate: 8.0%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

70.7% owner-occupied vs. state average 67.3%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 79.5% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 12.2%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

30.7% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,996.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $347,400.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $1,563.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 2,591 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 10.1% · For rent 15.0% · Seasonal 6.4% · Other 62.0%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

31.3% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 68.7% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

0.4%

167 units of 40,499 total

Housing units held for seasonal or recreational use.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

4.0%

1,606 units of 40,499 total

Census "Other vacant" — units off the market for reasons other than seasonal, migrant, sale, or rental.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$74,133

100% MHI$92,666

120% MHI$111,199

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Suffolk city should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$60,350	$68,950	$86,150
100% AMI	$75,390	$86,160	$107,700
120% AMI	$90,450	$103,400	$129,250

HUD FMR Area: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

57.0% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (29.8% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

25.0% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Suffolk city.

Covered employment

34,970

Across 18 sectors

Establishments

2,104

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$63,368

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	6,023	$63,129	$203,968	−$143,432	$1,578
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	4,159	$32,800	$91,073	−$256,327	$820
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	3,684	$125,099	$434,641	+$87,241	$3,127
NAICS 72 Accommodation and food services NAICS 72	3,153	$23,665	$57,070	−$290,330	$592
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	3,041	$53,133	$166,760	−$180,640	$1,328
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	2,977	$50,067	$155,347	−$192,053	$1,252
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	2,608	$93,016	$315,218	−$32,182	$2,325
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	2,301	$77,425	$257,183	−$90,217	$1,936
NAICS 31-33 Manufacturing NAICS 31-33	2,185	$69,513	$227,731	−$119,669	$1,738
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	1,452	$42,341	$126,588	−$220,812	$1,059
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	908	$40,804	$120,867	−$226,533	$1,020
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	860	$89,641	$302,655	−$44,745	$2,241
NAICS 55 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 55	604	$94,138	$319,394	−$28,006	$2,353
NAICS 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation NAICS 71	433	$24,259	$59,281	−$288,119	$606
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	212	$69,157	$226,406	−$120,994	$1,729
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	179	$63,692	$206,064	−$141,336	$1,592
NAICS 22 Utilities NAICS 22	122	$63,850	$206,652	−$140,748	$1,596
NAICS 99 Unclassified NAICS 99	69	$54,696	$172,578	−$174,822	$1,367

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	3,684	$125,099	$434,641	+$87,241	$3,127
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	3,041	$53,133	$166,760	−$180,640	$1,328
NAICS 722 Food services and drinking places NAICS 722	2,885	$23,446	$56,254	−$291,146	$586
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	2,832	$68,300	$223,216	−$124,184	$1,708
NAICS 493 Warehousing and storage NAICS 493	2,232	$47,084	$144,243	−$203,157	$1,177
NAICS 561 Administrative and support services NAICS 561	1,393	$41,975	$125,226	−$222,174	$1,049
NAICS 455 General merchandise retailers NAICS 455	1,287	$27,895	$72,815	−$274,585	$697
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	1,162	$27,929	$72,942	−$274,458	$698
NAICS 311 Food manufacturing NAICS 311	1,147	$71,496	$235,113	−$112,287	$1,787
NAICS 928 National security and international affairs NAICS 928	1,105	$120,544	$417,686	+$70,286	$3,014
NAICS 237 Heavy and civil engineering construction NAICS 237	1,072	$76,963	$255,463	−$91,937	$1,924
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	955	$79,658	$265,495	−$81,905	$1,991
NAICS 424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods NAICS 424	714	$92,669	$313,926	−$33,474	$2,317
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	695	$75,848	$251,312	−$96,088	$1,896
NAICS 624 Social assistance NAICS 624	686	$57,099	$181,522	−$165,878	$1,427
NAICS 623 Nursing and residential care facilities NAICS 623	653	$45,682	$139,024	−$208,376	$1,142
NAICS 551 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 551	604	$94,138	$319,394	−$28,006	$2,353
NAICS 236 Construction of buildings NAICS 236	532	$80,709	$269,407	−$77,993	$2,018
NAICS 524 Insurance carriers and related activities NAICS 524	453	$88,073	$296,818	−$50,582	$2,202
NAICS 423 Merchant wholesalers, durable goods NAICS 423	440	$71,102	$233,646	−$113,754	$1,778
NAICS 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers NAICS 441	435	$53,949	$169,797	−$177,603	$1,349
NAICS 713 Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries NAICS 713	410	$23,521	$56,534	−$290,866	$588
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	395	$32,835	$91,204	−$256,196	$821
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	368	$76,403	$253,378	−$94,022	$1,910
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	337	$54,134	$170,486	−$176,914	$1,353
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	331	$36,129	$103,465	−$243,935	$903
NAICS 721 Accommodation NAICS 721	268	$26,032	$65,880	−$281,520	$651
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	266	$33,633	$94,174	−$253,226	$841
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	250	$59,752	$191,398	−$156,002	$1,494
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	231	$36,264	$103,967	−$243,433	$907
NAICS 456 Health and personal care retailers NAICS 456	229	$34,724	$98,235	−$249,165	$868
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	185	$46,310	$141,362	−$206,038	$1,158
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	183	$68,638	$224,474	−$122,926	$1,716
NAICS 488 Support activities for transportation NAICS 488	157	$54,706	$172,615	−$174,785	$1,368
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	139	$31,718	$87,046	−$260,354	$793
NAICS 531 Real estate NAICS 531	138	$72,920	$240,413	−$106,987	$1,823
NAICS 327 Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing NAICS 327	135	$56,896	$180,767	−$166,633	$1,422
NAICS 332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing NAICS 332	129	$66,154	$215,228	−$132,172	$1,654
NAICS 449 Furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers NAICS 449	123	$45,769	$139,348	−$208,052	$1,144
NAICS 221 Utilities NAICS 221	122	$63,850	$206,652	−$140,748	$1,596
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	103	$76,568	$253,993	−$93,407	$1,914
NAICS 458 Clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers NAICS 458	93	$18,582	$38,149	−$309,251	$465
NAICS 111 Crop production NAICS 111	90	$63,525	$205,442	−$141,958	$1,588
NAICS 923 Administration of human resource programs NAICS 923	80	$58,354	$186,194	−$161,206	$1,459
NAICS 532 Rental and leasing services NAICS 532	74	$62,140	$200,287	−$147,113	$1,554
NAICS 999 Unclassified NAICS 999	69	$54,696	$172,578	−$174,822	$1,367
NAICS 562 Waste management and remediation services NAICS 562	59	$50,984	$158,760	−$188,640	$1,275
NAICS 337 Furniture and related product manufacturing NAICS 337	59	$55,825	$176,780	−$170,620	$1,396
NAICS 925 Administration of housing programs, urban planning, and community development NAICS 925	58	$56,754	$180,238	−$167,162	$1,419
NAICS 485 Transit and ground passenger transportation NAICS 485	49	$30,991	$84,340	−$263,060	$775
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	45	$47,135	$144,433	−$202,967	$1,178
NAICS 512 Motion picture and sound recording industries NAICS 512	41	$46,118	$140,647	−$206,753	$1,153
NAICS 523 Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities NAICS 523	39	$232,763	$835,403	+$488,003	$5,819
NAICS 814 Private households NAICS 814	37	$38,604	$112,678	−$234,722	$965
NAICS 339 Miscellaneous manufacturing NAICS 339	36	$45,354	$137,803	−$209,597	$1,134
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	29	$80,896	$270,103	−$77,297	$2,022
NAICS 622 Hospitals NAICS 622	20	$113,493	$391,440	+$44,040	$2,837
NAICS 927 Space research and technology NAICS 927	14	$134,056	$467,982	+$120,582	$3,351
NAICS 112 Animal production and aquaculture NAICS 112	7	$17,503	$34,133	−$313,267	$438

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	22,520	(1,870)	(8%)	$14.65	$30,460	$82,363	$762
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	16,840	(5,570)	(25%)	$14.72	$30,620	$82,959	$766
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	2,830	840	42%	$15.25	$31,720	$87,053	$793
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	20,890	(7,690)	(27%)	$16.44	$34,180	$96,210	$855
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	11,840	(30)	(0%)	$16.73	$34,790	$98,481	$870
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	8,110	(1,640)	(17%)	$19.43	$40,420	$119,437	$1,011
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	5,660	1,560	38%	$19.65	$40,870	$121,113	$1,022
Tellers SOC 43-3071	1,320	(660)	(33%)	$20.60	$42,850	$128,483	$1,071
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	13,100	(460)	(3%)	$21.40	$44,510	$134,662	$1,113
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	12,490	(4,050)	(24%)	$21.67	$45,080	$136,784	$1,127
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	7,100	430	6%	$24.45	$50,850	$158,261	$1,271
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	7,460	1,300	21%	$25.80	$53,660	$168,721	$1,342
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	4,020	30	1%	$26.13	$54,350	$171,290	$1,359
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	2,880	—	—	$27.65	$57,510	$183,052	$1,438
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	5,100	380	8%	$28.50	$59,280	$189,641	$1,482
Electricians SOC 47-2111	5,740	830	17%	$30.30	$63,030	$203,600	$1,576
Paramedics SOC 29-2043 · prior-year code differs	400	(780)	(66%)	$31.01	$64,500	$209,071	$1,613
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	4,320	(110)	(2%)	$32.34	$67,270	$219,382	$1,682
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	7,130	50	1%	—	$72,010	$237,026	$1,800
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	16,870	3,170	23%	$42.96	$89,350	$301,572	$2,234

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 51800 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.