Demographics
Why have so many residents and businesses decided to call Chesapeake home? Why has the City been recognized as one of the 50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family (1995 and 1997)? Why has Chesapeake, and the entire Hampton Roads region, been recognized by Money magazine as the "Most Livable Large City in the South" for 1998? The numbers tell the story of a safe, family-oriented community with a bright past and a dynamic future:- a young, upwardly mobile population
- an outstanding labor pool committed to quality and high productivity
- An education system dedicated to preparing its students for tomorrow's world
Residents
|
Population (1998 projected) | 195,149 |
|
Median Age | 31.3 |
|
Households | 67,996 |
|
White/Black/Other | 71%/27%/2% |
|
Persons per Household | 2.87 |
|
Owner-occupied Homes | 73% |
|
Median Family Income (projected) | $50,940 |
|
Median Household Effective Buying Income | $36,092 |
|
High School Graduate or Higher | 77.1% |
|
Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 16.9% |
Labor
- Northernmost Right-to-Work state
- Among the lowest workman's compensation insurance rates in the country
- Civilian labor force exceeding 103,000 for Chesapeake, and 750,000 for the metro area
- Typical commuting time of 21 minutes
- One of the highest concentrations of scientists and engineers in the country
- Salaries below the U.S. average
- Exiting military personnel, military spouses and college students contribute over 100,000 people to the regional labor pool
Education
Graduates of the Chesapeake Public School System are guaranteed to employers! If a business hires a worker within five years of graduation from high school and that worker is unable to perform the work due to a deficiency in reading, writing or math skills, the school system will retrain the worker to company specifications at no cost to the employer.
- 27 primary/elementary schools
- 8 middle schools
- 6 high schools
- Student-teacher ratio of 21.9 to 1
- Average SAT score of 955
- 1996/97 expenditure per pupil of $5,501
- 7 area 4-year colleges
- 2 area community colleges
- 1 area medical school
- 2 area law schools
