Population 1,686 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Chesapeake
Household size in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.19 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Chesapeake is a place of small households, averaging 2.28 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.1 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.0 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.7 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.4 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
Chesapeake is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.7, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has dropped from 41.1 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Chesapeake: 5.8% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Chesapeake
Renters in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.8% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.4% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −11.2 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.4% of households in Chesapeake rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. That is in line with the rest of West Virginia. Among homeowners, 61.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.5% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Chesapeake: 14.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. The picture is much the same across West Virginia.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1958 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Chesapeake is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $573 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $666 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $711 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $967 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$394 | +$327 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Chesapeake costs $967 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in West Virginia as a whole ($905). Rent takes 31.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Chesapeake
Bachelor's degrees in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Chesapeake: 10.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.7% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.3% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.3% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.2% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Chesapeake is close to the national rate: 88.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Chesapeake
| Period | Chesapeake | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Chesapeake has been low: just 2.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Chesapeake compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake | 2.28 | 37.7 | 5.8% | 22.4% | 14.4% | 1960 | $967 | 10.4% | 88.2% | 2.3% |
| Belle | 2.43 | 40.4 | 13.5% | 30.1% | 13.1% | 1964 | $826 | 21.1% | 91.7% | 4.1% |
| Winifrede | 2.59 | 46.4 | 21.6% | 23.1% | 8.5% | 1975 | $547 | 7.2% | 91.0% | 0.4% |
| Marmet | 2.26 | 51.0 | 7.7% | 29.3% | 16.0% | 1967 | $905 | 21.4% | 84.4% | 8.6% |
| Lower Belle | 2.15 | 55.1 | 3.9% | 16.6% | 15.7% | 1970 | $831 | 12.7% | 87.3% | 1.0% |
| Cabin Creek | 2.81 | 29.2 | 12.8% | 8.3% | 11.8% | 1958 | $752 | 23.0% | 98.1% | 19.2% |
| Hernshaw | 2.47 | 49.0 | 11.9% | 17.3% | 9.0% | 1974 | $818 | 12.3% | 87.3% | 1.5% |
| Coalburg | 2.88 | 45.4 | 18.2% | 20.1% | 17.1% | 1970 | $637 | 7.1% | 89.3% | 0.8% |
| East Bank | 2.36 | 52.4 | 19.9% | 27.1% | 23.7% | 1963 | $908 | 15.4% | 89.9% | 1.3% |
| Drybranch | 3.34 | 43.4 | 12.5% | 11.9% | 31.1% | 1961 | $789 | 7.4% | 86.7% | 2.1% |
| Rand | 2.39 | 50.4 | 6.0% | 13.0% | 9.4% | 1974 | $985 | 15.5% | 85.1% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wooton, KY · Bailey, MI · Almond, WI · Phelps, WI · Perry, MO · Perkinsville, VT · Pepin, WI · Patton Village, TX · Parsonsfield, ME · Ordway, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Chesapeake. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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