Petersburg city, VA

County

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2024 Population

33,537

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

21.7%

3.1% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$50,698

0.0847% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$189,000

19.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

14,460

2.36% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Petersburg city, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.5% of the residents in Petersburg city, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Petersburg city, VA are Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School (20 degrees awarded in 2023) and Jazz Barber and Hairstyling Academy (9 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Petersburg city, VA was $189,000, and the homeownership rate was 38.6%.

Most people in Petersburg city, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Petersburg city, VA was 1 car per household.

Petersburg city, VA borders Chesterfield County, VA, Dinwiddie County, VA, Prince George County, VA, and Colonial Heights city, VA.

United States Virginia Richmond, VA

Population & Diversity

Petersburg city, VA is home to a population of 33.5k people, from which 97.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.49% of Petersburg city, VA residents were born outside of the country (1.51k people).

In 2024, there were 5.17 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (24.9k people) in Petersburg city, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.82k White (Non-Hispanic) and 787 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.5%

2024 Citizenship

98%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.5% of Petersburg city, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Petersburg city, VA was 98%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Petersburg city, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Petersburg city, VA

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
24.9k ± 358
White (Non-Hispanic)
4.82k ± 51
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
787 ± 292

6.51%

Hispanic Population

2.18k people

6.51% of the people in Petersburg city, VA are hispanic (2.18k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Petersburg city, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,827 ± 8,012 people
India
97,961 ± 7,641 people
Mexico
63,695 ± 6,173 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,827 Virginia residents, followed by India with 97,961 and Mexico with 63,695.

Foreign-Born Population

4.49%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.51k people

3.92%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.31k people

As of 2024, 4.49% of Petersburg city, VA residents (1.51k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Petersburg city, VA was 3.92%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Petersburg city, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
811 ± 259
Vietnam
572 ± 139
Gulf War (1990s)
493 ± 169

Petersburg city, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.42 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Petersburg city, VA.

Economy

The economy of Petersburg city, VA employs 14.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Petersburg city, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,488 people), Retail Trade (1,799 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (1,309 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($79,479), Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($70,603), and Public Administration ($65,865).

Employment

Occupations

14.5k

2024 Value

± 1,110

2.36%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Petersburg city, VA grew at a rate of 2.36%, from 14.1k employees to 14.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Petersburg city, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,985 people), Material Moving Occupations (1,319 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,308 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Petersburg city, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

14.5k

2024 Value

± 1,110

2.36%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Petersburg city, VA grew at a rate of 2.36%, from 14.1k employees to 14.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Petersburg city, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,488 people), Retail Trade (1,799 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (1,309 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Petersburg city, VA, though some of these residents may live in Petersburg city, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,540

Median earning men ± $4,780

$37,298

Median earning women ± $5,755

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($76,065), Information ($53,702), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,458).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,458), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,722), and Construction ($55,880).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

79
Other Services (except Public Administration)
72
Retail Trade
45
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$189k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$108k
Retail Trade
$80.2k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Petersburg city, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (51.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
Other (0.905%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Petersburg city, VA awarded 29 degrees. The student population of Petersburg city, VA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 45 male students and 68 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Petersburg city, VA are Black or African American (24 and 82.8%), Hispanic or Latino (3 and 10.3%), and Two or More Races (2 and 6.9%).

The largest universities in Petersburg city, VA by number of degrees awarded are Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School (20 and 69%) and Jazz Barber and Hairstyling Academy (9 and 31%).

The most popular majors in Petersburg city, VA are Barbering (17 and 58.6%) and General Cosmetology (12 and 41.4%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 113 students enrolled in Petersburg city, VA, 39.8% men and 60.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 105 records, of which 60% were women and 40% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Barbering
15 degrees awarded
General Cosmetology
12 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Petersburg city, VA was Barbering with 15 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Petersburg city, VA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School
20 degrees awarded
Jazz Barber and Hairstyling Academy
9 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School with 20 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 17 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Petersburg city, VA, which is 1.42 times more than the 12 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 24 degrees mean that there were 8 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 3 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Petersburg city, VA was $189,000 in 2024, which is 0.568 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $157,900 to $189,000, a 19.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Petersburg city, VA is 38.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Petersburg city, VA have an average commute time of 25.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Petersburg city, VA is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

In 2025, 23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Petersburg city, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 5.02%.

Housing

Property

$189,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$18,119

$5,846

Median Property Taxes

±$618

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Petersburg city, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Petersburg city, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

38.6%

Homeownership

2024

70.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 38.6% of the housing units in Petersburg city, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 38.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Petersburg city, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$50,698

Median Household Income

± $2,886

15.1k

Number of Households

± 1,073

In 2024, the median household income of the 15.1k households in Petersburg city, VA declined from $50,698 from the previous year's value of $50,741.

The following chart displays the households in Petersburg city, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Petersburg city, VA is from Virginia.

0.472

2023 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.472 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.599% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (73.4%)
Worked At Home (10%)
Carpooled (8.84%)

In 2024, 73.4% of workers in Petersburg city, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10%) and those who carpooled to work (8.84%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Petersburg city, VA have a shorter commute time (25.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.27% of the workforce in Petersburg city, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Petersburg city, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Petersburg city, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Petersburg city, VA have 1 car.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Petersburg city, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 5.02%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

21.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Petersburg city, VA (7.2k out of 33.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Petersburg city, VA is Black, followed by Hispanic and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 31.5% of the children was living in poverty in Petersburg city, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.7%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 714 in Petersburg city, VA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 14.4 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93.5% of the population of Petersburg city, VA has health coverage, with 32.1% on employee plans, 31.5% on Medicaid, 10.5% on Medicare, 15.9% on non-group plans, and 3.44% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Petersburg city, VA see 1,520 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,520 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1284 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 167 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.5% were men and 55.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,520 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Petersburg city, VA

Primary care physicians in Petersburg city, VA see an average of 1,520 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,520 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Petersburg city, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25% under 18 years, 23.7% between 18 and 34 years, 34.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.5% were men and 55.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.52%

Uninsured

32.1%

Employer Coverage

31.5%

Medicaid

10.5%

Medicare

15.9%

Non-Group

3.44%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Petersburg city, VA declined by 20.8% from 8.23% to 6.52%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Petersburg city, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 168 in Petersburg city, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Petersburg city, VA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 46.5% in Petersburg city, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Petersburg city, VA.