Jobs, pay and daily life in Chesapeake, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Chesapeake is a city in Virginia with 252,583 residents. The median household earns $95,373 a year and the median rent is $1,586 a month, which is 20.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 763,060 jobs.
How Chesapeake compares. Among the 100 largest places in Virginia, Chesapeake is #2 by population, #27 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #74 for remote work (#1 = most), #68 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Chesapeake City, is #41 of 133 counties for average pay ($58,825).
Chesapeake has 252,583 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 2.9% of the population of Virginia. It covers 338 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 746 people per square mile. The median age is 37.9, about the same as the state median (37.9 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $1,586 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,586 against $1,579). Over a year that is 20.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $378,400, which is 4.0 times the median household income ($95,373); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 74.3% of households own their home, 10% above the state average (74.3% against 67.3%).
The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan area has 763,060 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,430 a year, 3% below the national median ($49,430 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (80,130 jobs, median $45,510); food preparation and serving related (75,010 jobs, median $32,210); transportation and material moving (67,220 jobs, median $43,240). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.6 times) and construction and extraction (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($116,780) and computer and mathematical ($106,280). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Chesapeake City was 3.7%. 62.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Chesapeake City; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.7% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 1.0% walk, 13.1% work from home. 11.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 32% below the state average (11.9% against 17.6%).
36.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 12% below the state share (36.9% against 42.2%). 5.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 56% below the state share (5.8% against 13.1%). The poverty rate is 9.4%, 5% below the state rate (9.4% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 80°F (26.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 40°F (4.6°C). About 1,200 mm (47 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (138 mm) and Jan the driest (72 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Portsmouth (13 miles, rent 18% lower); Virginia Beach (17 miles, rent 8% higher); Norfolk (17 miles, rent 17% lower); Suffolk (18 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Chesapeake; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Virginia (1,125) →State guide: VirginiaCountry guideChesapeake CityVirginia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,125 federal postings open in Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Virginia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 22,520 | 1.19 | $28,780 | $27,420 | $35,360 | -8% |
| Retail Salespersons | 20,890 | 1.09 | $30,820 | $26,960 | $44,570 | -13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 17,400 | 1.01 | $100,340 | $47,490 | $206,480 | -5% |
| Registered Nurses | 16,870 | 1.02 | $89,450 | $63,750 | $114,610 | -8% |
| Cashiers | 16,840 | 1.11 | $29,320 | $26,670 | $35,450 | -11% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 13,920 | 0.96 | $39,160 | $30,880 | $56,430 | -3% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 13,750 | 0.99 | $35,120 | $29,350 | $48,250 | -6% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 13,650 | 0.65 | $28,420 | $26,090 | $37,190 | -21% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 13,100 | 1.18 | $39,020 | $27,860 | $70,850 | +11% |
| Office Clerks, General | 12,490 | 1.03 | $44,630 | $31,030 | $61,220 | -1% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 11,840 | 1.09 | $33,580 | $27,650 | $45,360 | -9% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 10,960 | 0.86 | $38,150 | $30,300 | $57,160 | -15% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 8,670 | 1.63 | $87,530 | $47,640 | $127,950 | +5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 8,380 | 1.21 | $36,280 | $29,210 | $44,280 | -3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 8,110 | 1.14 | $38,990 | $31,210 | $47,440 | -8% |
| Security Guards | 7,470 | 1.19 | $37,230 | $30,830 | $62,710 | -2% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 7,460 | 0.74 | $50,460 | $38,180 | $71,930 | -14% |
| Software Developers | 7,160 | 0.86 | $129,090 | $80,090 | $178,830 | -5% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 7,130 | 1.05 | $63,380 | $48,910 | $100,290 | -1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 7,100 | 0.95 | $47,820 | $34,390 | $74,610 | -4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 530 | 0.53 | $297,350 | $124,010 | $612,350 | +39% |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,050 | 0.63 | $266,280 | $93,350 | $386,760 | +0% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 560 | 1.05 | $213,690 | $63,550 | $662,920 | -12% |
| Dentists, General | 720 | 1.18 | $177,400 | $106,470 | $298,950 | +4% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,360 | 0.41 | $170,560 | $110,140 | $263,320 | -3% |
| Financial Managers | 2,290 | 0.55 | $163,940 | $93,280 | $275,850 | -2% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 750 | 0.70 | $161,340 | $126,380 | $216,030 | -6% |
| Sales Managers | 1,270 | 0.41 | $158,750 | $78,410 | $285,200 | +7% |
| Marketing Managers | 610 | 0.32 | $155,300 | $96,330 | $248,570 | -7% |
| Managers, All Other | 2,300 | 0.75 | $143,230 | $104,040 | $193,250 | +1% |
| Purchasing Managers | 500 | 1.21 | $143,230 | $104,260 | $201,000 | -3% |
| Human Resources Managers | 680 | 0.63 | $140,410 | $99,270 | $217,170 | -6% |
| Aerospace Engineers | 800 | 2.40 | $139,010 | $92,930 | $193,250 | +3% |
| Engineers, All Other | 1,250 | 1.65 | $138,590 | $83,660 | $188,280 | +13% |
| Pharmacists | 1,470 | 0.93 | $136,280 | $109,810 | $166,400 | -3% |
| Lawyers | 2,280 | 0.62 | $133,380 | $75,690 | $313,680 | -16% |
| Software Developers | 7,160 | 0.86 | $129,090 | $80,090 | $178,830 | -5% |
| Physician Assistants | 780 | 0.99 | $126,430 | $96,360 | $172,860 | -7% |
| Information Security Analysts | 1,490 | 1.59 | $126,030 | $74,670 | $174,330 | -2% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,300 | 0.82 | $124,530 | $101,530 | $143,530 | -6% |
These figures are for the whole Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,430 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 14.0% |
| Retail trade | 9.3% |
| Public administration | 9.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.3% |
| Manufacturing | 7.1% |
| Construction | 7.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.6% |
| Other services | 5.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.1% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Chesapeake lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake City | 252,583 | $15,247 million | $60,363 | 104,662 | 6,889 | $58,825 | +0.1% | 3.7% | 124,004 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 13,111 | 14.8% | $38,074 | 1.25 |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,620 | 12.0% | $57,452 | 0.71 |
| Accommodation and food services | 9,958 | 11.2% | $23,468 | 1.05 |
| Construction | 9,564 | 10.8% | $77,126 | 1.74 |
| Professional and technical services | 7,582 | 8.6% | $87,779 | 1.04 |
| Administrative and waste services | 6,903 | 7.8% | $46,394 | 1.12 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6,154 | 6.9% | $52,538 | 1.39 |
| Manufacturing | 5,424 | 6.1% | $73,744 | 0.63 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,881 | 4.4% | $87,637 | 0.94 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,333 | 3.8% | $91,464 | 0.78 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3,269 | 3.7% | $49,141 | 1.04 |
| Management of companies | 2,565 | 2.9% | $103,715 | 1.45 |
| Information | 1,944 | 2.2% | $63,367 | 0.99 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,515 | 1.7% | $60,012 | 0.93 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,347 | 1.5% | $19,060 | 0.77 |
| Educational services | 1,153 | 1.3% | $32,377 | 0.53 |
| Utilities | 136 | 0.2% | $101,487 | 0.34 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 82 | 0.1% | $98,732 | 0.21 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 81 | 0.1% | $27,136 | 0.10 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.7% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 1.0% |
| Work from home | 13.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 11.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,373 |
| Income per person | $44,985 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,586 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.0% |
| Median home value | $378,400 |
| Homeowners | 74.3% |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 97.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,430 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 36.9% |
| Born abroad | 5.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.6 | 40 | 72 |
| Feb | 5.9 | 43 | 74 |
| Mar | 9.3 | 49 | 86 |
| Apr | 14.7 | 58 | 86 |
| May | 19.7 | 67 | 99 |
| Jun | 24.7 | 76 | 113 |
| Jul | 26.8 | 80 | 134 |
| Aug | 26.1 | 79 | 138 |
| Sep | 23.1 | 74 | 134 |
| Oct | 17.6 | 64 | 94 |
| Nov | 11.6 | 53 | 81 |
| Dec | 7.4 | 45 | 89 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | VA | 13 mi | 97,190 | $60,491 | $1,300 |
| Virginia Beach | VA | 17 mi | 456,349 | $92,968 | $1,714 |
| Norfolk | VA | 17 mi | 233,596 | $66,109 | $1,321 |
| Suffolk | VA | 18 mi | 98,796 | $92,666 | $1,563 |
| Hampton | VA | 25 mi | 137,557 | $69,621 | $1,427 |
| Elizabeth City | NC | 27 mi | 18,871 | $52,141 | $1,117 |
| Newport News | VA | 30 mi | 184,216 | $69,634 | $1,339 |
| Williamsburg | VA | 47 mi | 15,798 | $75,604 | $1,407 |
| Hopewell | VA | 69 mi | 22,959 | $54,729 | $1,106 |
| Petersburg | VA | 70 mi | 33,537 | $50,698 | $1,174 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
252,583 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,586 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.0% of the median household income.
$95,373 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, Chesapeake City (latest month 2026M09)).
Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.