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Newport News, VA

A town of about 184,216 people in Newport News city, part of the Virginia Beach area. Resident comments and photos are about Newport News; job numbers cover the wider area.

The Virginia Beach area:Government town · 21.2% of jobs are government, including public universities (U.S. 12.1%)
Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Newport News

Fort Eustis
Photo of Newport News
Driftwood Art Flickr Tobyotter
Driftwood Art Flickr Tobyotter · Photo: Tony Alter from Newport News, USA, CC BY 2.0
Ferguson Enterprises New Corporate Headquarters
Ferguson Enterprises New Corporate Headquarters · Photo: Aaron F. Stone, CC BY-SA 2.0
First Baptist Church Newport News
First Baptist Church Newport News · Photo: Etombari, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hilton Village Post Ave Looking Towards Warwick Blvd
Hilton Village Post Ave Looking Towards Warwick Blvd · Photo: VirginiaProp at en.wikipedia, Public domain
Jamesriverbridge
Lee Hall
Lee Hall · Photo: Lyricmac, CC BY-SA 4.0
Newport News Federal Building, St. and West Ave., Newport News, VA April
Newport News Federal Building, St. and West Ave., Newport News, VA April · Photo: Mytwocents at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Newport News Shipyard, aerial view, Oct
Newport News Shipyard, aerial view, Oct · Photo: Don S. Montgomery, Public domain
Newport News Victory Arch, St. and West Ave., Newport News, VA
Newport News Victory Arch, St. and West Ave., Newport News, VA · Photo: Mytwocents at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Oyster
Oyster · Photo: Lyricmac, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Where it is
Newport News
Newport News in Virginia
Virginia in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of Newport News's center.

20
grocery stores
150
restaurants
21
coffee shops
43
parks
68
playgrounds
5
libraries
2
movie theaters
4
live theaters
2
museums
7
bookstores
13
gyms
6
bars
14
pharmacies
4
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of Newport News.

Bike lanes and bike paths
9.3 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
49 miles
more than most U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 38,405 rented homes in Newport News, 90% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 24%
$1,000 to $1,499: 44%
$1,500 to $1,999: 22%
$2,000 to $2,499: 8%
$2,500 to $2,999: 1%
$3,000 or more: 1%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in Newport News rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $2,000 to $2,998 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in Virginia

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Virginia DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Virginia voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

One public school district serves this county, with about 26,531 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Newport News City Public Schools · Newport News
26,531 students · 15.3 students per teacher · 43 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Virginia keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$227/week
about $11,800 a year
$182/week
about $9,500 a year
Toddler (2)$164/week
about $8,500 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$151/week
about $7,900 a year
$155/week
about $8,100 a year
School-age$136/week
about $7,100 a year

For an infant at a center: $227/week here, $261 across VA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 15% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Virginia →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

14 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Newport News. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Christopher Newport University · Newport News
Public, 4-year · 4,503 students · $16,351 in-state, $30,988 out-of-state
Riverside College of Health Careers · Newport News
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 325 students · $12,846 a year
Old Dominion University · Norfolk (metro)
Public, 4-year · 22,541 students · $12,262 in-state, $32,662 out-of-state
Tidewater Community College · Norfolk (metro)
Public, 2-year (community college) · 15,912 students · $5,714 in-state, $11,717 out-of-state
Regent University · Virginia Beach (metro)
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 10,168 students · $20,686 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$373,040
What a typical home sells for across the Virginia Beach area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 2% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $98 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 97.9 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Average commute
25 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Homeowners insurance
About $2,074 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in VA. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
4 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
19.1 per 100,000 people a year
35 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. VA average: 14.3 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 10 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 506 people without housing in the Newport News, Hampton/Virginia Peninsula area (6 counties): 456 in shelters and 50 outside, up from 412 in 2024. VA: 8.2 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$66,718
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.03% of home value a year
About $1,030 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5.75%
VA's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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