Don't make the mistake of dismissing Virginia Beach as just another sun-drenched resort town. Virginia Beach is much more than that. While this city is definitely popular with travelers, it does not live and die by its tourist trade alone. It is, for one thing, also an active military town that is home to four facilities -- the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, the Naval Air Station Oceana, Camp Pendleton National Guard and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dam Neck. In addition, Virginia Beach also holds the distinction of being the largest city in the entire state.
How big is Virginia Beach? Well, in 2013, its population was estimated to be about 450,000, which makes it even bigger than Richmond, the capital of the Old Dominion. And in the summer time -- well, in the summer time, this area becomes positively bloated with visitors. In 2014, for example, Virginia Beach attracted an estimated 2.4 million visitors between the months of June through August. For the most part, however, these visitors really only affect Virginia Beach's resort strip, which runs along the beach, and the already bad traffic in the general Virginia Beach, Hampton and Norfolk area.
Whites make up approximately 67% of Virginia Beach's population, African-Americans about 19% , and Hispanics or Latinos represent another 8%. Education-wise, approximately 56% of Virginia Beach residents have at least earned their high school degree or have obtained a GED. The percentage of residents that have a bachelor's degree is 22.9 % , and another 4% have obtained a graduate degree.
The median age of residents in Virginia Beach is 35.7, with approximately 36% of the residents being between the age of 40 and 64. Another 20% of Virginia Beach's residents are between the ages of 25 and 39.
With four military bases in the area, it's not surprising that Virginia Beach has also attracted one of the highest concentrations of military retirees in the United States. And these retirees are probably one of the reasons why residents over the age of 65 make up approximately 13% of Virginia Beach's population.
Virginia Beach is typically hot and humid in the summer, with average high temperatures ranging between the low and high 80s, and low temperatures ranging between the high 60's and the low 70's. The fall and spring months typically have the best weather, with warm days and cool nights. Winters can be chilly, with daytime highs ranging between the high 40's and the low 50's, while temperatures in the evenings can drop close to freezing. Hurricanes and dangerous tropical storms are not common, but they do occasionally threaten the Virginia Beach area.
Over the years, Virginia Beach has been awarded several impressive honors, including being named "Best Place to Live in America" by USA Today Weekend Magazine and "One of the Best Cities for the Outdoors" by Forbes. There are many reasons why Virginia Beach typically does well on these type of rankings. The close proximity to the beach, of course, is a big plus. Another plus? The unemployment rate for this area, as of April 2015, was 4.4%, which is lower than the 5.4% average for the United States during the same time period and the 4.8% overall average for Virginia. And compared with the rest of the United States, which has a median household income of $52,000, residents of Virginia Beach have a higher median household income of $62,998.
Virginia Beach is home to several museums, including the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. The latter, which is very popular with children, also offers educational boat tours, including whale watching and ocean specimen collecting trips.
This city is also located about an hour from one of the most historically significant areas in the United States. Known as the Historic Triangle, this area is home to the living museum of Williamsburg, where you can interact with costumed re-enactors from the 18th century. The other two sites that make up the Historic Triangle are Jamestown, which was the first permanent settlement in the Americas, and Yorktown, which is where British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrendered to George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
Living in Virginia Beach, you can enjoy catching your favorite musical acts and shows at several excellent venues, including the Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach amphitheater and the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts.
This city is known, of course, for its more than 35 miles of ocean and bay beaches. Virginia Beach, in fact, claims that it has the "longest pleasure beach" in the world. You'll also find a fantastic 28-foot-wide boardwalk in Virginia Beach that stretches for three miles past eateries and vendors. And during the summer months, the City of Virginia Beach turns Atlantic Avenue into "Beach Street USA," which is basically a summer-long festival that offers free concerts, street entertainers, fireworks and unique events like the Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge. Virginia Beach is also known for:
Great Access to Outdoor Fun. If you enjoy spending your free time in the great outdoors, you'll love Virginia Beach, which is home to more than 4,000 acres of beautiful parks, reserves and refuges. One of the biggest of these outdoor playgrounds is the 9,108-acre Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, which is especially popular with kayakers. Then there is False Cape State Park, which is teeming with wildlife, including deer, feral pigs, loggerhead turtles and even wild horses.
Fun and Exciting Events. It seems like there is always something going on in Virginia Beach. In September, for example, you can check out the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival and its spectacular International Sandsculpting Championship. And in March, thousands of runners descend on Virginia Beach to participate in the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon. Then there is the East Coast Surfing Championships, which is held in August and is the oldest running surfing competition in North America. These are just a few of the amazing events held in Virginia Beach each year.
