Newport News city, Virginia Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Newport News city, Virginia, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Newport News city, Virginia. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Newport News city, Virginia. The estimated population of Newport News city, Virginia is 185,069 people, with a median age of 33.9.

We can look at the total population in Newport News city over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
185,069
+3.06%
+2.38%
2020
179,582
-0.05% -
2019
179,673
-0.26% -
2018
180,145
-0.35% -
2017
180,775
- -

Population of Newport News city, Virginia by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
41.3%
44%
-6.14%
Black/African American
40.2%
39.8%
+1.01%
Native
0.2%
0.2%
0.00%
Hispanic
9.6%
8.6%
+11.63%
Asian
3.4%
3.1%
+9.68%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.2%
-50.00%
Two Or More Races
4.4%
3.7%
+18.92%
Other
0.8%
0.4%
+100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Newport News city, Virginia by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 33.9 +0.3% 32.2 +0.94% 35.9 +0.84%
2020 33.8 +0.9% 31.9 +0.63% 35.6 +0.85%
2019 33.5 +0.6% 31.7 +0.32% 35.3 +0.86%
2018 33.3 +0.3% 31.6 0% 35 +0.57%
2017 33.2 - 31.6 - 34.8 -

The median age of Newport News city, Virginia gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 13,298 -0.23% 12,944 -3.78% 13,246 12,453
10 to 19 11,582 +7.01% 10,906 +7.2% 12,406 11,697
20 to 29 16,452 -3.44% 16,015 -5.04% 15,893 15,219
30 to 39 12,789 +5.29% 12,804 +7.08% 13,459 13,724
40 to 49 9,423 +1.55% 10,549 +2.92% 9,541 10,855
50 to 59 10,691 -7.94% 12,011 -0.33% 9,846 11,966
60 to 69 7,879 +13.65% 9,272 +5.89% 9,000 9,826
70+ 5,484 +14.51% 8,676 +10.47% 6,320 9,618

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Newport News city, Virginia is $57,463.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Newport News city.

  • Under 25
    $41,507.00
  • 25 to 44
    $58,141.00
  • 45 to 64
    $67,333.00
  • 65 and over
    $47,692.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Newport News city, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Newport News city, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Newport News city, Virginia is currently $75,634.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.32% of households in Newport News city are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Newport News city against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    20.46%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.74%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    20.23%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.74%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    15.10%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    5.41%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.32%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Newport News city is $33,082.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Newport News city by the total population of Newport News city.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Newport News city, Virginia, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Newport News city to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    13.86%
  • Bachelor's degree
    30.08%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.12%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    41.21%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.73%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Newport News city that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Newport News city over the age of 16 is 145,764.

Of those people, a total of 67.60% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Newport News city is 57.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 10,497 44.00% 19.80%
20 to 24 years 15,125 75.00% 9.20%
25 to 29 years 15,987 86.30% 5.90%
30 to 34 years 14,868 88.20% 5.60%
35 to 44 years 23,066 86.20% 4.80%
45 to 54 years 20,009 81.90% 3.10%
55 to 59 years 11,448 73.40% 3.90%
60 to 64 years 10,808 60.10% 3.30%
65 to 74 years 14,258 28.30% 8.30%
75 years and over 9,698 5.60% 2.20%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Newport News city. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 70,720 65.30% 4.70%
Black or African American 57,419 68.90% 6.50%
American Indian and Alaska Native 464 46.60% 0.00%
Asian 5,357 67.10% 5.10%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 193 66.30% 0.00%
Other 2,873 76.10% 6.50%
Two or more races 8,738 77.20% 7.50%
Hispanic or Latino 12,112 77.90% 3.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 65,478 64.50% 4.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Newport News city as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Newport News city is 84,152, with median earnings of $38,309.00.

Women in Newport News city, Virginia earning approximately 70.60% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 84,152 $38,309.00
Male 41,246 $45,160.00
Female 42,906 $31,904.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 6,720 $62,747.00
Business and Financial 3,450 $59,053.00
Computer and Mathematical 3,367 $69,896.00
Architecture and Engineering 2,486 $75,197.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 685 $58,381.00
Community and Social Service 2,106 $54,739.00
Legal 548 $66,116.00
Educational and Library 4,645 $43,111.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1,211 $32,445.00
Healthcare Practitioners 3,997 $47,717.00
Healthcare Support 3,103 $28,370.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,561 $41,130.00
Law Enforcement 742 $50,750.00
Food Preparation and Serving 5,878 $15,949.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 3,370 $22,322.00
Personal Care and Service 2,177 $20,403.00
Sales 7,629 $24,309.00
Office and Administrative Support 10,113 $31,887.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 254 $78,333.00
Construction and Extraction 4,952 $41,472.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,784 $46,591.00
Production 6,148 $48,917.00
Transportation and Material Moving 2,789 $38,346.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 3,245 $88,427.00 3,475 $51,214.00
Business and Financial 1,625 $66,477.00 1,825 $48,980.00
Computer and Mathematical 2,397 $69,896.00 970 $67,500.00
Architecture and Engineering 1,969 $80,013.00 517 $36,217.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 431 $59,955.00 254 $48,056.00
Community and Social Service 605 $57,452.00 1,501 $53,076.00
Legal 118 $59,141.00 430 $66,289.00
Educational and Library 1,108 $54,359.00 3,537 $38,406.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 568 $39,115.00 643 $27,802.00
Healthcare Practitioners 545 $78,068.00 3,452 $45,470.00
Healthcare Support 322 $32,018.00 2,781 $26,863.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 765 $53,585.00 796 $40,668.00
Law Enforcement 572 $51,250.00 170 $47,339.00
Food Preparation and Serving 2,749 $17,551.00 3,129 $15,036.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 1,828 $24,313.00 1,542 $21,503.00
Personal Care and Service 709 $30,125.00 1,468 $17,483.00
Sales 3,270 $34,768.00 4,359 $18,377.00
Office and Administrative Support 2,225 $44,004.00 7,888 $30,536.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 143 $88,556.00 111 $13,385.00
Construction and Extraction 4,449 $41,837.00 503 $39,710.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,428 $49,231.00 356 $37,533.00
Production 4,272 $53,493.00 1,876 $35,574.00
Transportation and Material Moving 2,335 $41,362.00 454 $22,656.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 74,922 households in Newport News city, with an average household size of 2.36 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 44,073 families in Newport News city with an average family size of 3.06 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 27,229 3,672 13,172 30,849
Average Household Size 3.14 3.05 3.24 1.21
Total Families 27,229 3,672 13,172 0
Average Household Size 3.11 2.7 3.07 0

Poverty

Of the 44,073 families in Newport News city, 12.40% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Newport News city:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 81,418 housing units in Newport News city, Virginia.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 74,922 92.02%
Vacant 6,496 7.98%

47.17% of the total 81,418 housing units in Newport News city are rental units. This is approximately 38,406 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 35,598 are occupied by the owner - or 43.72% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Newport News city is $1,118.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Newport News city that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    918
  • Less than $500
    2,934
  • $500 to $999
    11,248
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    16,821
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    5,772
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    1,004
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    180
  • $3,000 or more
    447

Property Value

The median value of a property in Newport News city is $204,900.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Newport News city that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    2,060
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,876
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    4,133
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    8,977
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    12,838
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    4,711
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    797
  • $1,000,000 or more
    206

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Newport News city. The chart below shows the number of properties in Newport News city that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    3,632
  • 1940 to 1949
    3,718
  • 1950 to 1959
    8,170
  • 1960 to 1969
    12,477
  • 1970 to 1979
    14,417
  • 1980 to 1989
    13,673
  • 1990 to 1999
    11,815
  • 2000 to 2009
    8,232
  • 2010 to 2013
    5,252
  • 2014 or later
    32

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Newport News city that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    8,122
  • 1 vehicle available
    27,560
  • 2 vehicles available
    25,666
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    13,574

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Newport News city get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Newport News city that commute to work in a particular way.

23.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Newport News city.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    1,522
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    9,247
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    14,072
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    16,915
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    13,372
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    5,262
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    11,076
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    1,474
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    2,394
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    5,348
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    3,714
  • 90 or more minutes
    1,673

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Newport News city, Virginia in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.