Downtown Statistics

What Makes Downtown Work?

Downtown Norfolk is the heart of Hampton Roads, and it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about it from a financial, cultural or entertainment point of view. Businesses that move and stay Downtown find themselves more connected, discover daily opportunities for collaboration with like-minded companies and enjoy the proximity to everything that makes this the region’s most desirable destination.

Strategic marketing and branding initiatives are executed to effectively position Downtown as an attractive and competitive place to shop, dine, live, work, do business and be entertained. Research-based decisions on allocation of marketing dollars and messaging ensure targeted and productive campaigns. Downtown Norfolk Council (DNC) has produced some award-winning events such as Restaurant Week, Holidays in the City and the Grand Illumination Parade. Other programs include First Fridays street parties, the Downtown Exploration Guide, the NEON District, Work From Downtown and on-going street activation.

DNC’s Public Service and Clean Team Ambassadors are on the streets 360 days a year. They patrol on foot and effortlessly appear to be everywhere at once, greeting festival and cruise ship guests, dispensing information at the mobile kiosk, assisting the Norfolk Police Department and acting as safety escorts. They also serve the Downtown community with daily sidewalk cleanings, weed eradication and other landscape maintenance, graffiti and gum removal and the operation of beloved battery-powered people-mover F.R.E.D. (Free Ride Every Day).

Population and Demographics

Downtown Norfolk

Office:

Has 5.2 million square feet of office space, all within quick access to parking, restaurants and retail
A downtown workforce of approximately 29,000 employees
Convenient access to government agencies and courts

Property Valuation:

The total assessed value of real estate has risen from $961 million in FY2013 to $1.6 billion in FY2025 (Source: City of Norfolk Department of Economic Development 2025)

Residential:

Downtown is home to approximately 6,500 residents
Residential occupancy rate: 92%

Norfolk:

230,930 population (Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2023 American Community Survey)

Income:

Average Household Income of $105,782 in the primary trade area is comfortably higher than the $78,500 median family income for all US households (Source: ESRI Business Analyst)
Nearly 40% of households in the primary trade area and more than 35% in the secondary trade area annually earn $75,000 and up

Hampton Roads Region:

1.787 million population (Source: U.S. Census Bureau population estimate 2023)

Annual Report:

A goal of the Downtown Norfolk Council is to make research-based decisions whenever possible. Through consumer and worker surveys and through data collected annually by the Commissioner of the Revenue, statistics and trends are tracked and the results become a valuable business tool. Trends are published in our annual report, a copy of which is available below.