Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Matoaca gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $251K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income. It grades C− overall, 212th among Virginia's 249 graded towns. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Matoaca, above both the Virginia town median (7.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 17 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on walkability. Wales and Olive Hill is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Matoaca beats most towns.
2,403 counted in 2010 and 2,655 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Matoaca is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 829 in 1970, 2,655 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 7 maps from 1894 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Matoaca is unincorporated, so Chesterfield County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Matoaca.
Matoaca has homes that are cheap against local pay and sends most of its workers to Richmond and beyond, but it has poverty well above the Virginia rate.
Matoaca has 59 jobs for its 1,202 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Matoaca for work: only 0% work in town. Matoaca’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. The top destinations are Richmond (12%), Petersburg (6%) and Colonial Heights (5%).
| Matoaca | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Matoaca beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 41% of adults have high blood pressure in Matoaca.
| Matoaca | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Matoaca | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.1% | 7.1% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 14.5% | 10.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 17% | 13.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Matoaca has mild winters and warm summers. The July high in Matoaca is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 1999, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Matoaca.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 2.9 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 93% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Matoaca. Close and well known come first.
21 mi LandmarkHollywood Cemetery
22 mi LandmarkRobert E. Lee Monument
11 mi Ancient siteHenricus
21 mi MuseumWhite House of the Confederacy
22 mi Stadium & arenaRichmond Coliseum
38 mi MuseumJamestown SettlementHollywood Cemetery: Andrew Bain, Public domain · Robert E. Lee Monument: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Henricus: Morgan Riley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White House of the Confederacy: AlbertHerring, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Richmond Coliseum: Mentes at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jamestown Settlement: Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Matoaca
About 7 of every 100 Matoaca residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
Where Matoaca’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
CDP in Virginia, United States
Matoaca is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2020 census. It is named after the Pamunkey Paramount Chief’s daughter Matoaka who was better known by her nickname "Pocahontas". It was near the site of an Appomattoc village Matoka or Matoks, which was reputedly her girlhood home, and the palace town of the weroansqua Oppussoquionuske. In 2016 it was listed as No. 42 in CNN Money's Top 50 Places to Live in the United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Matoaca.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matoaca | #212 | C− | B | — | B | C |
| Ettrick | #95 | A− | A | — | B | B |
| Petersburg | #241 | D− | B | D | D | D |
Matoaca and Ettrick report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Matoaca with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Matoaca grades C− overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #212 of 249 in Virginia. It grades C for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
The typical home is worth about $251,000, 39% below the Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
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