Best PlacesSouth Norfolk, Chesapeake, VA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around South Norfolk, Chesapeake, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
South Norfolk, Chesapeake ranks 4,366th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on cheap car insurance by a wide margin, and noise is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in South Norfolk, Chesapeake
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
South Norfolk, Chesapeake's strengths and weaknesses
Where South Norfolk, Chesapeake ranks high
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than 81% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than 78% of neighborhoods
- School gradeB−, better than 73% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than 72% of neighborhoods
Where South Norfolk, Chesapeake ranks low
- QuietBetter than only 7% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than only 14% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 17% of neighborhoods
- Crime safetyBetter than only 22% of neighborhoods
- Health outlookBetter than only 23% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in South Norfolk, Chesapeake
A household needs to earn about $63,000 a year to comfortably buy the median South Norfolk, Chesapeake home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $66,018, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses South Norfolk, Chesapeake's effective rate of 0.66%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 5 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in South Norfolk, Chesapeake
South Norfolk, Chesapeake runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for South Norfolk, Chesapeake.
Who works in South Norfolk, Chesapeake, and how
Work in South Norfolk, Chesapeake centers on retail trade and health care & social. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 82%
- Work from home 10%
- Transit, walk, or bike 8%
Life in South Norfolk, Chesapeake
South Norfolk, Chesapeake has more parkland per resident than 76% of neighborhoods. The coast is about 12 minutes away. That concentrates in some parts of South Norfolk, Chesapeake and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in South Norfolk, Chesapeake, month by month
South Norfolk, Chesapeake sees roughly 69 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 54, with lows near 33. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 43° | 33° |
| April | 74° | 61° | 50° |
| July | 92° | 82° | 73° |
| October | 76° | 65° | 56° |
Flying in and out of South Norfolk, Chesapeake
The nearest airport, Norfolk International, is about 8 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Richmond International, about 76 miles away.
The best schools in and around South Norfolk, Chesapeake
Schools across South Norfolk, Chesapeake average a B−, better than 73% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Deep Creek ElementaryA · 64% proficient
- Georgetown PrimaryA · 63% proficient
- Crestwood IntermediateB+ · 55% proficient
Top middle schools
- Academy For Discovery At LakewoodA · 63% proficient
- Deep Creek MiddleB+ · 50% proficient
- Crestwood MiddleB+ · 49% proficient
Top high schools
- Great Bridge HighA · 74% proficient
- Deep Creek HighA · 73% proficient
- Indian River HighA · 68% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every South Norfolk, Chesapeake school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
South Norfolk, Chesapeake measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare South Norfolk, Chesapeake against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who South Norfolk, Chesapeake suits
Remote workers
Internet is fast and widely advertised and 10% already work from home.
Common questions about living in South Norfolk, Chesapeake
Is South Norfolk, Chesapeake a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, South Norfolk, Chesapeake ranks 4,366th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on cheap car insurance, clean air, and low property taxes, and lowest on noise and biking. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is South Norfolk, Chesapeake expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $246,985. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $66,018 median income, cost of living beats 46% of neighborhoods.
Is South Norfolk, Chesapeake safe?
South Norfolk, Chesapeake is safer than 22% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $711 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in South Norfolk, Chesapeake?
July highs average about 92 degrees, and January highs near 54 with lows near 33. That works out to about 69 pleasant days a year, more than 23% of neighborhoods.
Is South Norfolk, Chesapeake good for families?
Schools beat 73% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 22%, and childcare runs $965 a month.
Compare South Norfolk, Chesapeake with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to South Norfolk, Chesapeake. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in South Norfolk, Chesapeake represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
South Norfolk, Chesapeake detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for South Norfolk, Chesapeake: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in South Norfolk, Chesapeake: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of South Norfolk, Chesapeake: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in South Norfolk, Chesapeake: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
South Norfolk, Chesapeake detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.