Hi all, Military spouse here. The unemployment rate is 3.5%, which is pretty low. With a population of 235K, Norfolk is a mid-size city. The food scene here is surprisingly good. Cost of living is definitely rising, but still manageable. Has anyone dealt with this? Night life is decent if you know the right spots. The suburbs are where most families end up. Property taxes are high but you get good services. Night life is decent if you know the right spots. Downtown has improved a lot in recent years. The weather takes some getting used to. It's changing fast — some good, some not so much. It's a very car-dependent city, for better or worse. The school system varies a lot by neighborhood. Night life is decent if you know the right spots. It's not perfect, but the community is solid. The weather takes some getting used to.
2 upvotes
5 Replies
Madelyn
Bought a house here in 2019 and I'm still on the fence after all this time. Property values have gone up a bit since then.
38 upvotes
William Ramos
OK so I've been meaning to write this for a while. I moved here 4 years ago from Atlanta and here's my honest breakdown:
Housing: If you look outside the main areas you can find deals. We're paying /mo for a 2-bed in Riverside. It's average for what you get.
Jobs: The market is manageable right now, especially in manufacturing. If you're in hospitality you might struggle.
People: Generally underrated. It took about 3 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: challenging. Tons of options if you like Mediterranean.
Feel free to reach out with questions..
26 upvotes
Alexander R.
I work in marketing here and it exceeded my expectations. The job market for my field is surprisingly good. Hope this helps!.
21 upvotes
Aurora James
Gonna give a different perspective here since most replies seem underrated.
I've been here 9 years and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else right now. The thing nobody mentions is cultural scene. It's growing and it affects daily life more than you'd think.
That said, the pet-friendliness is legit. And if you're into biking, this place is surprisingly good.
Neighborhood matters A LOT here. The The Heights side vs the Riverside side are basically different cities. Make sure you visit both before deciding.
Good luck with whatever you decide..
11 upvotes
Owen T.
OK so I've been meaning to write this for a while. I moved here 2 years ago from Dallas and here's my honest breakdown:
Housing: It's gotten pricier but still beats the coasts. We're paying /mo for a 3-bed in Midtown. It's pretty good for what you get.
Jobs: The market is wild right now, especially in tech. If you're in marketing you might struggle.
People: Generally surprisingly good. It took about 3 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: decent. Tons of options if you like Vietnamese.
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