The state’s biggest city claims the top spot on national “Best Big Cities to Live In” list.
View of Virginia Beach from a fishing pier.
Photo by Schuminweb
Many people enjoy the peace and quiet that a rural, out-of-the-way small town can offer, but others thrive in big cities. And if you ask the folks at the personal finance website WalletHub, Virginia Beach has earned the top spot on America’s “Best Big Cities to Live In” list.
WalletHub selected 62 of the largest U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, comparing five key categories of affordability, economy, education & health, quality of life, and safety, with 56 indicators of appeal.
Virginia Beach ranks highest in affordability, followed by high ratings in safety and education & health. At 3.1 percent, the unemployment rate is below the national average, as is crime. Despite only a 4 percent increase in population since 2010, the area is booming for retirees, and the number of people age 50 and older has grown by 22 percent.
But maybe it’s the 213 sunny days per year, in addition to six major beaches over 35 miles of coastline, that make Virginia Beach so livable.
This article originally appeared in our December 2019 issue.
