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Vital Statistics

  • Population: 199,184 (2000 Census)
  • Physical size
    • Land area: 341 sq. mi.
    • Water area: 10 sq. mi.
  • Median household income: $56,174 (2004 Census)
  • Median age: 35 (2000 Census)
  • Avg. yearly rainfall: 46 in.
  • Avg. summer high temp: 87
  • Avg. winter low temp: 32
  • Public hospitals: 1

Public Schools

  • Number of students: 39,412
  • Number of full-time teachers: 2,877
  • Raw student-teacher ratio: 14:1
  • Number of Elementary schools: 29
  • Number of middle/junior high schools: 10
  • Number of senior high schools: 6

Real Estate

  • Tax rate: $1.04-1/06 per $100 assessed value
  • Median value owner-occupied housing: $122.300 (2000 Census)

Taxes/Fees

  • Personal property tax (all vehicles including boats): $4.08 per $100 assessed value
  • Water: $33 per 4,488 gallons minimum bimonthly
  • Sewage: $13.90 per 4,488 gallons minimum bimonthly plus $52.40 yearly fee for storm water management
  • Recycling: curbside pick-up included in waste fee

Chesapeake, Virginia, Real Estate and Lifestyle

If variety, comfort, and charm are what you want, then Chesapeake, Virginia is an ideal place to search for your home.

Chesapeake is a vast and varied city, and its real estate reflects a similar spectrum. Though no area of the city is primarily agricultural any more, open spaces abound. Lovers of large properties, old wooded areas, natural landscapes, and privacy will appreciate the Deep Creek and Hickory areas of the city. The Great Bridge area, a bedroom community with easy access to almost anywhere else, features a mixture of older homes on generous lots and new development. Often considered the heart of the city, the area is not only the site of the historic Battle of Great Bridge but the modern home of Chesapeake's municipal center.

The northwestern portion of the city, Western Branch, is the picture of suburbia, featuring new and older housing developments, retail centers, dining, and business opportunities all within a few miles' drive. And the South Norfolk region is home to many of Chesapeake's most successful industries as well as old, historic neighborhoods, many of which are currently experiencing exciting new redevelopment and improvements.

No matter which area you choose, Chesapeake delivers so much to residents. Its public schools offer traditional learning plus some atypical features that showcase a love of learning for the public Chesapeake Planetarium, the first planetarium in Virginia to be owned and operated by a public school system, is open to the public every week. WFOS, an FM radio station, features news, music playlists, and special programs designed by select high school students.

Likewise, Chesapeake's public library system is among the finest. The city boasts seven well-stocked branch libraries offering a wide variety of casual, academic, and business reading; a law library; and a bookmobile that visits 30+ additional city locations on a weekly basis.

Recreation in Chesapeake is never far away, either. The city's biggest parks offer a vast array of amenities including boat launching areas, sports facilities, hunting and fishing, hiking, camping, and playground equipment. One unique area is Chesapeake City Park's Fun Forest, a three-acre parcel where children from toddler to preteen can get both physical and mental exercise with climbing and obstacle courses and science and math learning stations. There are also more than a dozen smaller neighborhood parks with play and picnic areas and small sports courts. Even four-legged residents are welcomed through a dog park. Organized youth and adult sports, both casual and competitive, are offered year-round. And of course, Chesapeake is home to some of Tidewater's finest golf courses.

Special annual events are part of life in Chesapeake as well. Each year, the late-spring Chesapeake Jubilee features local organization exhibits and displays, carnival rides, national music acts, and fireworks. And the city offers a taste of culture through its Under the Stars annual outdoor music performance series.

Businesses in Chesapeake thrive just as well as residents. Some of the best-known companies in Virginia and the nation, including Dollar Tree, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, and Project Lifesaver International, are headquartered here. Chesapeake's manufacturing industry is still alive, producing everything from railroad maintenance equipment and marine supplies to baked goods. And Chesapeake's world-class Convention Center offers growing companies all the conferencing facilities and hotel space they need.

Abundant real estate choices. Culture, history, and recreation. A thriving business environment. Easy access to the highway system. Chesapeake offers it all!