City safety & data profile

PetersburgVA

Petersburg, VA is a 32K-resident city in Petersburg city with a median household income of $50,698.

Petersburg city, Virginia. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Petersburg, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Petersburg has a population larger than 66% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $189,000, and 3 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-22

32K
Population
Top 34%
By size
$50,698
Median income
$189,000
Median home
21.7%
Poverty rate

The read on Petersburg

Petersburg posts a median household income higher than 10% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 3 hospitals serve the Petersburg area.

Top 90%
by median income, US cities
3
hospitals in & near Petersburg

Where Petersburg income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$50,698 Bottom 10% higher than 10% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. VA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Petersburg, VA beyond the headline numbers

Petersburg sits inside Petersburg city, Virginia, at roughly 37.23°N, -77.40°W. Population 32,477, $50,698 median household income. Median home value $189,000, median rent $1,174. Poverty rate 21.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Petersburg's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 48.7%, then high blood pressure at 46.5%. 3 hospitals in/around Petersburg, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Petersburg from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
32,477
Petersburg
Median Income
$50,698
-25% vs avg
Median Home Value
$189,000
-17% vs avg
Median Age
35.8
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Petersburg city) - Petersburg's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
34K+4%
Median Income
$50,698+47%
Median Home Value
$189,000+54%
Poverty Rate
21.7%-19%
Unemployment
9.8%-40%

Economics

Economics indicators for Petersburg, VA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,174/mo
Poverty Rate
21.7% +53% vs avg
Unemployment 9.8%
Bachelor's Degree+ 25.4%
Work From Home 10%
Public Transit 3.7%

Population

White 15.2%
African American 76.5%
Asian 1.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.5%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
48.7%
High Blood Pressure
46.5%
Obesity
46.3%
Physical Inactivity
34.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.7%
Diabetes
19.4%
Current Smoking
17.6%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.5%
Current Asthma
13%
Lack of Health Insurance
12%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 54.3%
Annual Checkup 82.4%

Other Measures

Binge Drinking
11.3%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.7%
Stroke
5.6%

Hospitals 3 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
3
With ER
1
BON SECOURS SOUTHSIDE MEDICAL CENTER
PETERSBURG · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Petersburg, VA? ▼
Petersburg, VA has a population of 32,477 people, located in Petersburg city, Virginia.
What is the median household income in Petersburg? ▼
The median household income in Petersburg, VA is $50,698 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 21.7%.
What is the median home value in Petersburg? ▼
The median home value in Petersburg, VA is $189,000. Median rent is $1,174/month.
What are the top health concerns in Petersburg? ▼
The top health indicators in Petersburg include Short Sleep Duration (48.7%), High Blood Pressure (46.5%), Obesity (46.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Petersburg? ▼
Petersburg has 3 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Petersburg? ▼
The median age in Petersburg, VA is 35.8 years. 25.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Petersburg, VA is located in Petersburg city, Virginia. With a population of 32K and a $50,698 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 3 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Petersburg area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Virginia

Real-time AQI for every monitored Virginia location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Colonial Heights, VA 18K Chester, VA 21K Hopewell, VA 22K Meadowbrook, VA 18K Brandermill, VA 13K Highland Springs, VA 16K Richmond, VA 227K Bon Air, VA 16K
All cities in Virginia → Compare Petersburg vs Colonial Heights → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Petersburg's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Petersburg area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Petersburg against Virginia peers on any ranking lens. Explore Virginia

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Petersburg city) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.