Cost of Living in Chesapeake, Virginia
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Chesapeake, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 255,332
- Median household income
- $89,265
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 97.9
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6%
Is Chesapeake a good place to live?
Chesapeake is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 146 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Chesapeake keeps $2,169 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living2% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,706 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$2,028 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Chesapeake
Prices in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC area run 2% below the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 10% below the US average.
- HousingAbout the same as the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
- Utilities10% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items2% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,706 | $20,472 |
| Food | $478 | $5,736 |
| Transportation | $378 | $4,536 |
| Healthcare | $347 | $4,164 |
| Utilities | $233 | $2,796 |
| Total before taxes | $3,142 | $37,704 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Chesapeake | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,686 | $1,470 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,706 | $1,488 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,913 | $1,667 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,636 | $2,298 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,111 | $2,710 |
Living in Chesapeake
How Chesapeake compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Chesapeake | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,265 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $388,600 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,630 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 27.8% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 34.1% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 39.1 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 27 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.2% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.4% | 3.7% |
Home internet
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Chesapeake, led by Cox Communications, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. Fiber reaches 77.2% of homes and 58% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Chesapeake
Pros
Nothing stands out against the US average in the data we track.
Cons
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $2,169 a year, less than in 146 of 178 large cities.
What your job keeps in Chesapeake
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $49,430
- Federal income tax
- −$3,752
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,781
- State income tax
- −$2,028
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$20,472
- Everyday costs
- −$17,228
a year, or $181 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $129,090 | $55,190 |
| Project manager | $104,920 | $39,723 |
| Registered nurse | $89,450 | $29,729 |
| Accountant | $79,450 | $23,269 |
| Teacher | $68,325 | $16,081 |
| Electrician | $62,350 | $11,807 |
| Plumber | $61,870 | $11,450 |
| Police officer | $59,690 | $9,823 |
| Truck driver | $50,460 | $2,938 |
| Nursing assistant | $38,990 | −$5,620 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Chesapeake on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $8,778
- Carpenter $3,713
- Civil engineer $33,107
- Data scientist $36,738
- Dental assistant $111
- Dental hygienist $35,827
- Dentist $85,433
- Diesel mechanic $9,457
- Financial analyst $33,424
- Firefighter $7,771
- HVAC technician $9,660
- Lawyer $57,876
- Licensed practical nurse $13,315
- Lineman $16,098
- Mechanical engineer $36,725
- Medical assistant −$2,165
- Nurse practitioner $52,336
- Occupational therapist $36,157
- Paralegal $9,897
- Paramedic $13,128
- Pharmacist $59,692
- Pharmacy technician −$1,935
- Physical therapist $37,087
- Physician assistant $53,525
- Radiologic technologist $21,873
- Respiratory therapist $24,263
- Social worker $12,098
- Speech-language pathologist $35,169
- Veterinarian $50,759
- Welder $12,047
Compare Chesapeake with other cities
Compare Chesapeake with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Chesapeake
7 licensed interstate movers are based in Chesapeake, and 47 more elsewhere in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Chesapeake, VA a good place to live?
Chesapeake is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 146 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $49,430 and keeps $2,169 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Chesapeake?
Prices in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC area are 2% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,706 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,436 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Chesapeake?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $46,600 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC area earns $49,430.
What is the average rent in Chesapeake?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,686 for a studio, $1,706 for a 1-bedroom and $1,913 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Chesapeake at $1,630 a month (2024).
Does Chesapeake have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $49,430, Virginia state income tax comes to about $2,028 a year. Chesapeake has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Chesapeake?
4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Chesapeake, led by Cox Communications, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T. 77.2% of homes can get fiber and 58% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate