Petersburg, VA
Census place 5161832 · pop 33,537
Site of the 292-day Siege of Petersburg, the longest siege in U.S. military history, including the infamous 1864 Battle of the Crater.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
46.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
38.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
34.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$50,698 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
21.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
85.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
17.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
12.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
25.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.81% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+6.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$189,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,366/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
38/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Petersburg: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Petersburg, VA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Petersburg scores 39/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is adult obesity. Virginia overall ranks #14 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Petersburg, VA expensive to live in?
- Petersburg has a median home value of $189,000 and typical rent around $1,366/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Petersburg, VA?
- Its weakest measured area is adult obesity (46.3%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Petersburg, VA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (38/100) — 94/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Site of the 292-day Siege of Petersburg, the longest siege in U.S. military history, including the infamous 1864 Battle of the Crater.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.