For a city of 137,315, Hampton does unevenly: it grades C, 206th of 249 graded towns in Virginia. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. The trade-off: it reports more crime per resident than 84% of U.S. towns, including 369 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Its National Register listings include Fort Monroe and Variable Density Tunnel. 25% of working residents work locally in Hampton, above both Virginia’s towns (4.8%) and U.S. towns (8%). Only 5 of Virginia’s 138 towns score lower on civic life.

StrongestAHistory AHazard risk A⁻WalkabilityWeakestC⁻Safety

What makes Hampton stand out

Where Hampton beats most towns.

Fort Monroe

HistoryA

Settled in 1610

31 places on the National Register

A history going back 416 years.

Including Allen Iverson and Mary Jackson.

Natural hazardsA

Very low risk of storm and flood damage

FEMA National Risk Index.

Fort Monroe · National Register of Historic Places

Hampton’s story

416 years in pictures

Fort Monroe is one of 7 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1610, comes before those of 99% of the Virginia towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 787 in 1850, 137,148 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1803 and 6 maps from 1907 on.

31 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1610Hampton is settled

Explore the history →

How Hampton grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Hampton is from typical.

How grading works

Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →SafetyC⁻Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.5 of 20; 7.6% of households have no car; 3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA⁻Open →SchoolsB⁺Open →HealthLess healthy than 68% of U.S. towns; Sentara Careplex Hospital 5.6 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →Jobs & income$70K median household incomeC⁺Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

OutdoorsBOpen →History58 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life0.7 library visits per resident; 3.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market29 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.8; 28% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Fort Monroe National Monument and 44 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hampton. Close and well known come first.

All 51 attractions →

in town National MonumentFort Monroe National Monument

23 mi Theme parkBusch Gardens Williamsburg

27 mi MuseumColonial Williamsburg

14 mi MuseumMacArthur Memorial

14 mi Stadium & arenaNorfolk Scope

30 mi MuseumJamestown Settlement

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Fort Monroe National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Cjh1452000, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Colonial Williamsburg: Humberto Moreno, CC BY 2.0 · MacArthur Memorial: Unknown, Public domain · Norfolk Scope: Cag1970, Public domain · Jamestown Settlement: Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Hampton: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Hampton, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerDominion Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterCity of Newport News water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Hampton’s trash rules yet

SchoolsHampton City Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereHampton General RegistrarThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023

ZIP codes23666, 23669, 23661, 2366323666 39% · 23669 30% · 23661 10% · 23663 10%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Hampton.

Hampton fares better on crime within Virginia than nationally and trades workers with Newport News and other neighbors, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.

SafetyC⁻

Hampton earns a C− for safety

At 39.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 72% of Virginia’s graded towns. Property crime runs at 28.6 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Virginia rate, most of it theft.

The rate of thefts and burglaries for Hampton comes to 28.6 per 1,000 residents. In Hampton, the rate of reported violence is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.

16%of U.S. towns report more crimeC⁻Safety Grade

	Hampton	Virginia towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	28.6 per 1,000 residents	14.5	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	2.7 per 1,000 residents	2.3	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Hampton2.7

Virginia2.1

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Hampton28.6

Virginia13.9

U.S.15.5

16th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

28th

percentile among VA towns

369

violent crimes reported in 2025

3,952

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageHampton’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of 3 of its 4 graded neighbors Questions“Is Hampton, VA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

SchoolsB⁺

Public schools in Hampton beat 74% of Virginia districts

Of its 45 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The public schools here belong to the Hampton City Public Schools. Public school enrollment locally: 4,438 students across 6 schools.

74%of VA districts it outscoresB⁺School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
George P. Phenix ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8	Grades PK–8	1,438	B⁺
Bethel HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,769	A⁻
Armstrong ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5	Grades K–5	288	A

Full pageHampton’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsHampton City Public Schools Vs. the neighborsAhead of 3 of its 5 graded neighbors Every school45 schools · George P. Phenix Elementary Questions“Are Hampton’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A

The biggest natural risk in Hampton is inland flooding, at a very low overall level

4,715 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 915 properties have flooded more than once.

Households in Hampton have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2018. On expected storm and flood damage, Hampton sits below 82% of U.S. communities. Also worth knowing: 4,715 flood insurance claims have been paid locally since 1978. Expected losses in Hampton break down as 44% from inland flooding and 18% from hurricanes.

18risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesCoastal flooding

4,715

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageHampton’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims4,715 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters6 federal disasters · Paid out in Hampton Get ready0.9 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HousingCost of living grade C

Zillow puts the typical Hampton home at about $279K

57% of Hampton households are owner-occupiers. Typical home values rose 2.5% in the year to September 2026. Its going rate for rent comes in at $1,427 a month.

$279KZillow home value

	Hampton	Virginia towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	57%	68%	73%
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	57%	47%	48%
Median rent	$1,427 a month	$1,764 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Hampton$279K

Virginia$412K

Market temperature

days on market

99.9%

sale-to-list price

+2.5%

value change, 1 year

179

homes sold in May

Full pageHampton’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 2.5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 4.0 years of income Rents$1,427 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 4 of its 5 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

HealthC

A larger share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Hampton than in most of Virginia or the rest of the country

Two figures for adults in Hampton: 15% have diabetes, 40% have high blood pressure. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Hampton is ahead of Virginia on 1 and behind on 16. 13% of adults binge drink locally.

32%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade

	Hampton	Virginia towns	U.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	44%	36%	36%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	15%	11%	12%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	40%	33%	35%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	40%	34%	35%

32 measures vs. Virginia

1 better15 too close to call16 worse

What stands out	Hampton	VA
Fewer adults who have had cancer	6.6%	7.7%
More adults facing a utility shut-off	11.4%	7.1%

Hampton VA Medical Center

2.6 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

19th

percentile among VA towns

Full pageHampton’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults sleeping under 7 hours Hospitals & doctors nearby2.6 miles to an ER · Hampton VA Medical Center How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than VA on 1 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

In Hampton, expect mild winters and hot summers

July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 32° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.

3″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter34–51°

Spring49–68°

Summer70–86°

Fall54–71°

Nov 15

typical first frost

Mar 24

typical last frost

+1.3°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageHampton’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 89°, January lows 32°Rain & snow3″ of snow a winter · 47 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+1.3° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁺

Hampton earns a C+ for incomes

Hampton has about as many jobs (45,482) as working residents, but only 12,921 people both live and work here.

Jobs based in Hampton fell to 45,482 in 2023, 4,564 fewer than in 2013. The town’s typical journey to work stands at 23 minutes. The top destinations are Newport News (27%), Norfolk (9%) and Virginia Beach (5%). The share of residents in Hampton who live below the poverty line: 13%.

25%work in town

	Hampton	Virginia towns	U.S. towns
Median household income	$70,000	$102,000	$80,000
Average trip to work	23 minutes	27 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	13%	7.7%	9.6%
Work from home	10%	18%	11%

Where working residents work

In Hampton25%

Newport News27%

Norfolk9%

Virginia Beach5%

Chesapeake5%

10 mi

median commute distance

45,482

jobs based in Hampton

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

A−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns

Full pageHampton’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here45,482 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work25% work in Hampton Commute times23 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 10 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

OutdoorsB

In Hampton, 2% of the land is conserved

37 miles of trail in 25 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Grandview Natural Preserve, at 608 acres. The trail network density in Hampton is 0.3 miles per square mile.

#196for trails in VA

	Hampton	Virginia towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	0.3 miles per square mile	0.7	0.4
Conserved land	2%	4.7%	4.3%

conserved · 1,731 of 86,812 acres

37 mi

of trails · 0.3 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Fort Monroe	2.6 mi	293
2. Buckroe Beach and Park	1.8 mi	42
3. Memorial Park	1 mi	11

Full pageHampton’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map37 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk2.6 miles of trail · Fort Monroe Conserved land2% conserved · 1,731 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Hampton?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Hampton

20pages on Hampton

The big questions

SchoolsB⁺Beat 74% of VA districts · 45 schools SafetyC⁻2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than VA on 1 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingC$279K typical home · up 2.5% in a year Work & commuteC⁺$70K median household income · 45,482 jobs here Natural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 18% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsB37 mi of trails · 2% conserved land PlacesAttractions51 nearby · Fort Monroe National Monument under 1 mi LibraryD0.7 library visits per resident CollegesHampton University, in town

The story

HistoryASettled 1610 · 31 on the National Register Famous people58 born in Hampton Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 29 residents Climate89° summer highs · 3″ of snow

Day to day

News12 recent stories about Hampton WeatherHandbookZIP code 23630, 23661, 23663 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

9 within 15 miles of the center of Hampton

Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · HamptonIn town$5,088 in-state tuition Hampton UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · HamptonIn town$30,592 tuition Christopher Newport UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Newport News10.9 mi$16,828 in-state tuition

About 8 of every 100 Hampton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

By the sea

Hampton lives by the ocean

Coastal flooding makes up 10% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.

10%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding

97thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally

4,715paid flood-insurance claims since 1978

6storm & flood disasters paid out here

On the water

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap

Landmarks

31 places in Hampton on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Fort MonroeBuilt 1834 · National Historic Landmark

Eight-Foot High Speed TunnelBuilt 1936 · National Historic Landmark

Full Scale TunnelBuilt 1929 · National Historic Landmark

Lunar Landing Research FacilityBuilt 1965 · National Historic Landmark

Famous people from Hampton

58 notable people were born in Hampton.

See all 58 →

Allen IversonAmerican basketball player · born 1975

Mary JacksonAmerican mathematician and aerospace engineer · 1921–2005

Robert SatcherAmerican astronaut and orthopedic surgeon · born 1965

Margot Lee ShetterlyAmerican nonfiction writer · born 1969

Steve CardenasAmerican martial artist · born 1974

Chris DurkinAmerican soccer player · born 2000

About Hampton

Independent city in Virginia, United States

Official town website ↗

Hampton is an independent city in Virginia, United States. The population was 137,148 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh-most populous city in Virginia. Hampton is included in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (sometimes called "Tidewater"), which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Hampton traces its origins to Old Point Comfort, the site of Fort Monroe, named by English explorers led by Christopher Newport in 1607 during the founding of Jamestown. Following the American Civil War, Hampton University was established on the opposite bank of the Hampton River to educate newly freed African Americans and local Native Americans. …

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1610
Area: 136 sq mi
Elevation: 10 ft
ZIP code: 23630, 23661, 23663
Area code: 757

Hampton’s neighbors

5 towns share a border with Hampton.

Explore the map →

Poquoson next door grades higher for schools (A+ to Hampton’s B+) and lower for cost of living (D to C).

Newport NewsPoquosonBethel ManorNorfolkPortsmouthHampton

Newport News

W · 27% of Hampton workers commute here

Visit

Poquoson

Visit

Bethel Manor

Visit

Norfolk

S · 9% of Hampton workers commute here

Visit

Portsmouth

S · 2% of Hampton workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	VA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Hampton	#206	C	C	C⁻	B⁺	C
Newport News	#227	D	C	D	C	C
Poquoson	#145	B	D	B⁻	A⁺	A⁻
Bethel Manor	#175	B⁻	D⁻	—	A⁺	B⁺
Norfolk	#238	D	C	D	D⁻	C⁺
Portsmouth	#243	D⁻	C	D⁻	D	C⁻

Bethel Manor reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Hampton with a neighbor →

Questions about Hampton

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Hampton, VA a good place to live?

Hampton grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #206 of 249 in Virginia. It grades C for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.

Is Hampton, VA expensive?

That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($82,330 across the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.

What is Hampton, VA known for?

58 notable people were born here, including Allen Iverson and Mary Jackson.

Post to Hampton

Check your email

HamptonVA

What is it like to live in Hampton?

What makes Hampton stand out

416 years in pictures

How Hampton grades

Fort Monroe National Monument and 44 more within 40 miles

Moving to Hampton: who provides what

The data

Hampton earns a C− for safety

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Public schools in Hampton beat 74% of Virginia districts

The biggest natural risk in Hampton is inland flooding, at a very low overall level

Zillow puts the typical Hampton home at about $279K

Typical home value

A larger share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Hampton than in most of Virginia or the rest of the country

In Hampton, expect mild winters and hot summers

Typical low → high °F

Hampton earns a C+ for incomes

Where working residents work

In Hampton, 2% of the land is conserved

Everything we know about Hampton

Colleges nearby

Hampton lives by the ocean

Landmarks

Famous people from Hampton

About Hampton

Hampton’s neighbors

Questions about Hampton