Virginia Beach City County

Virginia Beach city (county-equivalent), Virginia — key demographics

Population

• 2023 population estimate: ~455,600 (U.S. Census Bureau)
• 2020 Census: 459,470
• Trend: essentially flat to slightly declining since 2020

Age

• Median age: ~36 years
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 65 and over: ~14–15%

Sex

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~65%
• Black or African American alone: ~19%
• Asian alone: ~7%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–0.6%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.3–0.4%
• Two or more races: ~6–7%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~9–10%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~57%

Households

• Total households: ~172,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~65–66% (about 46–48% married-couple families)
• One-person households: ~25–26%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~64%

Notes and sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Population Estimates; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates; Census QuickFacts; 2020 Decennial Census. Figures rounded for clarity.

• Scope: Virginia Beach (independent city), Virginia; population ~460,000.
• Estimated email users: ~328,000 adults. Basis: ~356,000 adults (≈77% of population) and ~92% adult email adoption in the U.S.
• Age distribution of use (typical adoption applied locally):
  • 18–29: ~99% use email
  • 30–49: ~97%
  • 50–64: ~92%
  • 65+: ~85% Largest share of local users is ages 30–64 given the city’s age mix.
• Gender split: mirrors population (≈51% female, 49% male), so email users are roughly evenly divided by gender.
• Digital access and trends (ACS-based local indicators, recent years):
  • ~95% of households have a computer.
  • ~91% of households have a broadband subscription.
  • ~12% are smartphone-only internet households.
  • Home broadband subscription has risen several points since the late‑2010s, while dial‑up is near zero.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ~1,800–1,900 per sq. mile, supporting strong ISP coverage.
  • Virginia Beach hosts multiple transoceanic submarine cable landings (e.g., MAREA, BRUSA, Dunant) and the Globalinx cable‑landing campus, plus a regional open‑access fiber ring (Southside Network Authority), underpinning robust backbone capacity and low‑latency connectivity.

Mobile phone usage in Virginia Beach city, Virginia (independent city) — 2024 snapshot

Headline numbers

• Population base: ~456–458k residents; ~178–180k households (ACS 2022–2023).
• Smartphone reach: ~93–95% of households report having a smartphone (ACS S2801), translating to roughly 168k–171k smartphone households.
• Individual users: ~350k–360k residents use a smartphone, including ~320k–330k adults 18+ and ~25k–30k teens (estimates apply national age-specific ownership to local age structure).
• Wireless-only reliance (no landline): Higher than the Virginia average. Estimated low-70s% of adults in Virginia Beach vs high-60s% statewide (modeled from CDC/NHIS state rates and the city’s younger age mix).
• Mobile for home internet: ~75–80% of households report a cellular data plan in the home (ACS S2801 definition), with 7–9% likely relying on mobile-only for home internet access—above the Virginia average by ~2 percentage points.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: ~97% smartphone ownership; heavy 5G and app-first usage; higher prepaid and multi-line family plans.
  • 35–64: ~91–94% ownership; strong BYOD for work and hotspot use; high data-plan tiers.
  • 65+: ~70–75% ownership (above Virginia average), reflecting the city’s relatively younger senior cohort and robust retail/mobile support ecosystem.
• Income and education
  • Smartphone access is near-universal (>95%) for households ≥$50k. Among <$50k, ownership remains high (~90%+) with a greater share on budget/prepaid plans and ACP/low-cost carrier offerings prior to the ACP wind-down.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic households in Virginia Beach show smartphone access on par with or slightly above the citywide average (narrower digital divide than statewide), with higher mobile-first internet substitution compared to White and Asian households.
• Housing and military presence
  • Renters (about one-third of households) and military/DoD-affiliated residents drive above-average wireless-only and hotspot use, compared with Virginia overall.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G coverage and spectrum
  • Citywide 5G from all three national operators, with extensive mid-band (2.5 GHz, C-band, 3.45 GHz) across most populated areas; dense small-cell and some mmWave nodes concentrated around Town Center, Oceanfront/Virginia Beach Boardwalk, and major corridors.
  • Coverage gaps are limited and primarily at the extreme southern/rural fringe (Pungo/Sandbridge) and in/around restricted federal/military tracts.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Median mobile download speeds in core neighborhoods are typically well into the 100+ Mbps range on mid-band 5G, with uplinks commonly 10–25 Mbps; south-end exurban areas trend lower but remain serviceable on LTE/5G NSA.
  • Seasonal traffic spikes are pronounced (late spring–summer tourism along the Oceanfront), creating occasional peak-hour congestion that operators mitigate with temporary small cells and additional carriers on macro sites.
• Resilience and emergency use
  • Coastal storm preparedness has driven carrier hardening at key sites (backup power, microwave backhaul redundancy) and the city’s strong WEA/FirstNet footprint; this exceeds the resilience profile found in many Virginia localities without coastal risk.

How Virginia Beach differs from Virginia statewide

• Higher smartphone penetration: Virginia Beach runs roughly 2–3 percentage points above the state’s household smartphone rate, reflecting its urban density and younger profile.
• More wireless-only households: A few points higher than the state average, linked to renters, younger adults, and military households.
• More mobile-first home internet: A modestly larger share of households substitute mobile data/hotspot for home broadband, particularly in lower-income and renter segments.
• Better 5G availability and capacity: Denser mid-band deployments and targeted mmWave along tourist/commercial corridors elevate median speeds versus the statewide median that includes rural localities.
• Smaller digital divide: Racial/ethnic and senior gaps in smartphone access are narrower than the state average, aided by extensive retail options, device financing, and community digital literacy programs.

Actionable insights

• Retail and network planning: Prioritize capacity and small-cell densification along the Oceanfront, Town Center, Hilltop, and major east–west corridors ahead of peak tourist seasons.
• Product mix: Strong demand for high-data and family plans among 18–44, with sustained opportunity for budget/prepaid and senior-friendly devices/services in the western and southern neighborhoods.
• Public services and alerts: Continue leveraging high mobile reach for emergency communications; maintain roaming and FirstNet priority in coastal zones.
• Digital equity: Maintain device and plan affordability efforts for renters and lower-income households; these groups are more likely to be mobile-first and sensitive to plan pricing changes post-ACP.

Primary data references

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2022–2023, Table S2801 (computer/smartphone and internet subscription).
• CDC/NHIS wireless-only telephone status (state-level); localized to Virginia Beach via age/renter/military mix.
• FCC mobile coverage filings and carrier public 5G deployment disclosures.
• Independent speed-test aggregations (Hampton Roads/Coastal Virginia market) for performance characterization.

Social media usage snapshot: Virginia Beach City County, VA (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: ~456,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS 1-year; Virginia Beach is a county-equivalent independent city)
• Adults (18+): ~358,000
• Gender (all ages): ~51% female, ~49% male

Estimated social media users

• Overall users (all ages): ~331,000 residents use social media (≈72.5% of population; U.S. average used as proxy)
• Adult platform reach (Pew Research Center, 2024 U.S. adult usage applied to ~358k local adults; rounded):
  • YouTube: 83% → ~297k adults
  • Facebook: 68% → ~243k
  • Instagram: 47% → ~168k
  • Pinterest: 35% → ~125k
  • TikTok: 33% → ~118k
  • Snapchat: 30% → ~107k
  • LinkedIn: 30% → ~107k
  • X (Twitter): 22% → ~79k
  • Reddit: 22% → ~79k
  • WhatsApp: 21% → ~75k
  • Nextdoor: 19% → ~68k

Age groups and gender

• Age skew: Virginia Beach is slightly younger than the U.S. median, which lifts Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat usage relative to national averages while keeping Facebook and YouTube dominant.
  • 13–17: High Snapchat/TikTok/YouTube; low public Facebook posting
  • 18–29: Multi-platform heavy use; Instagram/TikTok primary, YouTube ubiquitous
  • 30–44: Facebook + Instagram core; TikTok rising; YouTube and LinkedIn strong for professionals
  • 45–64: Facebook and YouTube dominant; Nextdoor and LinkedIn moderate
  • 65+: Facebook and YouTube primary; Nextdoor for neighborhood updates
• Gender:
  • Overall social audience mirrors the population (~51% female, ~49% male)
  • Platform skews (national pattern): Pinterest and Instagram lean female; Reddit, LinkedIn and X lean male; Facebook close to parity; Snapchat and TikTok lean slightly female

Most-used platforms (ranking and share among adults)

1. YouTube (83%)
2. Facebook (68%)
3. Instagram (47%)
4. Pinterest (35%)
5. TikTok (33%) 6–7) LinkedIn (30%), Snapchat (30%) 8–11) X (22%), Reddit (22%), WhatsApp (21%), Nextdoor (19%)

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community-centric engagement: Heavy participation in Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for neighborhoods, schools, base/PCS communities, local services, lost-and-found, and event coordination.
• Short-form video first: Instagram Reels and TikTok drive discovery for beaches, dining, nightlife, festivals (e.g., Neptune Festival), and small businesses; creators emphasize quick, place-tagged clips.
• Always-on YouTube: How‑to, fishing/surf/sailing, home improvement, and local recreation content; growing connected‑TV viewing for longer videos.
• Event and weather spikes: Storm/hurricane tracking, flooding, traffic/tunnel updates spur rapid sharing on Facebook, X, and Nextdoor; local agencies and news pages see surges.
• Messaging over public posts: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs are key conversion paths for appointments, quotes, and customer service; WhatsApp smaller but present for family and international ties.
• Reviews and social proof: Facebook recommendations and short-form video testimonials influence local purchase decisions; “near me” content optimized with geotags performs best.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings and weekends; seasonal lift during late spring–summer tourism and major local events.

Method and sources

• Population and gender: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS (Virginia Beach city, VA)
• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult adoption)
• Local counts are modeled by applying national adult adoption rates to the local adult population; overall user count uses the U.S. social media penetration (~72.5% of total population, DataReportal Digital 2024) to provide a city-level estimate.