Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Wakefield’s average trip to work is 39 minutes, where Virginia’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Wakefield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Wakefield beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 570 in 1910, a peak of 1,355 in 1980, 759 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2001 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wakefield, and how to reach them.
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 Wakefield.
The typical Wakefield home is worth about $218,000, up 7.6% in a year, 47% below the Virginia typical home. Wakefield’s median rent is $966 a month, below both Virginia’s towns ($1,762 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Wakefield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $966 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidewater Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 166 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Wakefield has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Wakefield is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Wakefield for work: only 8% work in town. Wakefield’s median household income is $62,000. Since 2013, Wakefield has added 36 jobs, to 381 in 2023.
| Wakefield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.3% | 4.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
47% of Wakefield adults have high blood pressure. Among 254 Virginia towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Wakefield. 18% of Wakefield adults have diabetes.
| Wakefield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 33% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 34% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Wakefield | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.6% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.3% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.2% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wakefield. Close and well known come first.
26 mi MuseumColonial Williamsburg
26 mi Theme parkBusch Gardens Williamsburg
37 mi National MonumentFort Monroe National Monument
21 mi MuseumJamestown Settlement
36 mi Ancient siteWerowocomoco
40 mi MuseumMacArthur MemorialColonial Williamsburg: Humberto Moreno, CC BY 2.0 · Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Cjh1452000, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Monroe National Monument: Unknown, Public domain · Jamestown Settlement: Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Werowocomoco: engraved by William Hole, Public domain · MacArthur Memorial: Unknown, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Wakefield; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Wakefield residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Town in Virginia, United States
Wakefield is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 729. Wakefield is widely known for the Virginia Diner, the Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center, and the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office for Eastern Virginia, Southeastern Maryland and Northeastern North Carolina, which issues weather alerts for the region including the cities of Elizabeth City, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, Salisbury and Ocean City MD, though the latter two are actually located outside the town limits. Wakefield also hosts the Virginia Shad Planking.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Wakefield has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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