Virginia Beach city, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 43.4 | 453,649 people · 80th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Virginia Beach city, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 43.4 — 2128th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Virginia, it ranks 80th of 133 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Virginia Beach city's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 84.4 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 84.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 82
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65
Debt & Delinquency 53.0
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 22
Student Loan Delinquency 60
Auto Loan Delinquency 57
Credit Card Delinquency 56
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Employment & Wages 43.8
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 9
Community Vulnerability 24.4
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 14
Income & Poverty 11.1
Poverty Rate 11
Income vs. State Median 7
Child Poverty Rate 15

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Virginia Beach city compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Virginia Beach city
Virginia Beach city, VA 43.4 Normal —
Norfolk city, VA 68.6 Serious +25.2
Hampton city, VA 64.3 Elevated +21.0
Northampton County, VA 60.9 Elevated +17.6
Chesapeake city, VA 45.2 Normal +1.9
Currituck County, NC 32.6 Healthy -10.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Virginia Beach city
Anchorage Municipality, AK 43.4 Normal +0.0
Middlesex County, NJ 43.5 Normal +0.1
Allen County, IN 43.8 Normal +0.4
Kalamazoo County, MI 43.8 Normal +0.4
Durham County, NC 42.9 Normal -0.5

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Virginia Beach city as a CSV file.

Find Help in Virginia Beach city

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Virginia Beach city residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Virginia Beach city, Virginia?

    Virginia Beach city has a County Distress Index score of 43.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,128th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Virginia Beach city?

    The primary driver of distress in Virginia Beach city is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 84.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Virginia Beach city compare to neighboring counties?

    Virginia Beach city (43.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Norfolk city, VA (68.6); Hampton city, VA (64.3); Northampton County, VA (60.9).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Virginia Beach city?

    Virginia Beach city, Virginia has a population of approximately 453,649 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.