Virginia Beach

Best Virginia Beach suburbs for families

Ranked on a families weighting: schools at 30%, amenities within two miles at 20%, and the four poll questions about children, safety and sidewalks at 20%. Cost still counts, at 15%. The full weighting is shown at the bottom, and it is not the same as the overall score.

Updated Sep 2026·11 suburbs considered, 10 listed
1
The Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia, 2pm on September 20, 2012, using a Nikon D80.
Williamsburg$428k median · 19.5 min commute
Schools B−Amenities BResidents inactive
74
Family score
overall 66 C+
2
Virginia Beach, VA, May 2021
Virginia Beach$383k median · 23.4 min commute
Schools C+Amenities B−Residents inactive
66
Family score
overall 64 C+
3
The Wisconsin Battleship in Norfolk, VA
Norfolk$290k median · 23.0 min commute
Schools CAmenities B−Residents inactive
63
Family score
overall 58 C
4
Hampton Downtown Historic District
Hampton$246k median · 22.5 min commute
Schools C+Amenities D+Residents inactive
60
Family score
overall 55 C−
5
A view of the Victory Arch in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News$261k median · 23.1 min commute
Schools CAmenities C−Residents inactive
59
Family score
overall 55 C−
6
Portsmouth, Va. (Aug. 20, 2003) -- Tug boats guide USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) up the Elizabeth River, past Portsmouth landmarks, to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth$247k median · 23.7 min commute
Schools CAmenities D+Residents inactive
56
Family score
overall 51 D+
7
Campus of the Virginia Marine Institute of Science in Gloucester Point, VA
Gloucester Point$321k median · 35.4 min commute
Schools CAmenities D−Residents inactive
55
Family score
overall 50 D+
8
A view of North Main Street in downtown Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk$347k median · 30.2 min commute
Schools C+Amenities FResidents inactive
51
Family score
overall 51 D+
9
Elizabeth City, NC
Elizabeth City$188k median · 26.4 min commute
Schools FAmenities C+Residents inactive
48
Family score
overall 44 D
10
A sailboat on the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.
Chesapeake$378k median · 25.8 min commute
Schools CAmenities FResidents inactive
48
Family score
overall 52 D+
This list's weighting
Schools 30%Amenities 20%Resident poll (Q2, Q5, Q6, Q8) 20%Cost of living 15%Housing 10%Commute 5%

Poll components only count for places with eight or more resident responses; for the others the remaining weights re-normalise to 100%.

Other Virginia Beach lists
Most affordable Virginia Beach suburbsBest Virginia Beach suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown Virginia BeachMost walkable Virginia Beach suburbsBest Virginia Beach suburbs for young professionalsHow we score Virginia Beach suburbs →

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Williamsburg (Ron Cogswell · CC BY 2.0); Virginia Beach (DanRVA · CC BY-SA 4.0); Norfolk (Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0); Hampton (Pejcharat · CC BY-SA 4.0); Newport News (Smash the Iron Cage · CC BY-SA 4.0); Portsmouth (U.S. Navy photo · Public domain); Gloucester Point (Carmenshields · CC BY 3.0); Suffolk (User: Kubigula · CC BY-SA 3.0); Elizabeth City (Wikimedia Commons · Public domain); Chesapeake (US Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified · Public domain).