Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Hampton, VA
VS
Newport News, VA
🏆 It's a dead heat — 10 categories each
Hampton
Virginia
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
97.4
Median Household Income
$64,430 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
65 ✓ Safer
Population
137,217
Newport News
Virginia
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
97.4
Median Household Income
$63,355
Violent Crime Index
194⚠ High
Population
185,118 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Hampton, VA
Pros
66% less violent crime than Newport News
Violent crime is well below the national average (247.6 vs 380/100k)
Cons
Property crime (2882.0/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Higher unemployment (6.5% vs 5.6%)
Newport News, VA
Pros
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.9 pts lower (5.6%)
Cons
Violent crime (736.0/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Key Differences at a Glance
Hampton
Median Income
$1,075
$64,430 vs $63,355/yr
Hampton
Violent Crime
66% lower
247.6 vs 736.0 per 100k
Hampton
Median Home Value
$14k less
$219,800 vs $233,400
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 97.4 on the COL index
Newport News
Unemployment
0.9 pp lower
5.6% vs 6.5% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Hampton, VA | Newport News, VA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 97.4 | 97.4 |
| Median Home Value | $219,800 ✓ Lower | $233,400 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,255 | $1,209 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $64,430 ✓ Higher | $63,355 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.5%⚠ High | 5.6%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 22.3 min ✓ Shorter | 23.4 min |
| Work From Home % | 7.0% | 7.5% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 94 ✓ Safer | 162⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 65 ✓ Safer | 194⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 137⚠ High | 115⚠ High ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (101) | B+ (105) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.8:1 | 12.5:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.7% | 28.7% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 92.8% ✓ Higher | 91.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Hampton City Public Schools | Newport News City Public Schools |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 49.0°F | 49.0°F |
| Avg High — July | 87.3°F | 88.2°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.8" ✓ Drier | 51.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.7" | 2.7" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 137,217 | 185,118 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 36.5 ✓ Older | 34.1 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.6% ✓ Higher | 47.6% |
| Under 18 | 21.3% | 23.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 15.9% ✓ More | 13.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Hampton's cost of living index is 97.4 vs Newport News's 97.4 (US average = 100).
Both have a similar overall cost of living.
Based on the 20 decided categories above, It's a dead heat — 10 categories each. Hampton wins 10 and Newport News wins 10. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Hampton to Newport News or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($219,800 vs $233,400 median home), income ($64,430 vs $63,355), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Hampton, VA and Newport News, VA are about 13 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.