Apartments for Rent in Virginia Beach, VA
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Living in Virginia Beach, VA

Though it is best known as a beach getaway on the eastern seaboard, Virginia Beach is also the most populous city in Virginia, and is popular among suburban families for its livability, strong education and health systems, and relatively low tax rates.

While the hoards of tourists visiting Virginia Beach in the summer months can be a nuisance for locals, the boardwalk does live up to its hype - in fact, Virginia Beach holds the Guinness World Record for “longest stretch of pleasure beach” in the world!

Virginia Beach, VA employment & economy

Virginia Beach welcomes some 13 million visitors each year, and tourism is a critical industry, with nearly 15,000 jobs in Virginia Beach based around the tourism sector. Restaurants, hotels, retail developments, and the entertainment industry all benefit from Virginia Beach’s annual tourism revenues. The Virginia Beach Convention Center, opened in 2005, caters to large events and group meetings, and hosts over 500,000 guests for events each year. Ecotourism makes up a growing portion of Virginia Beach’s tourism sector, with many companies offering land and water tours of the area’s wildlife. Altogether, tourism contributes over $1 billion to the city’s economy, supporting 13,000 jobs in Virginia Beach.

The agribusiness sector in Virginia Beach adds some $80 million in revenue to the area economy, with over 150 farms producing foodstuffs and other goods. Virginia Beach is also home to major military bases, including the largest employer in Virginia Beach, the U.S. Navy’s NAS Oceana; the Training Support Center Hampton Roads; and the Cape Henry Joint Expeditionary Base East.

Amerigroup, the Christian Broadcasting Network, and the American headquarters of Stihl are among the major companies based in Virginia Beach. The city’s leading employers include the Navy Exchange Service Command, VT Group, and GEICO.

Education in Virginia Beach, VA

The Virginia Beach public school system is one of the largest in the state of Virginia, serving over 70,000 K-12 students in its 55 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, and 12 high schools. Green Run Collegiate is the sole public charter high school in the district, and is also an International Baccalaureate World School. A number of secondary schools in Virginia Beach focus on specialties, including engineering, technology, health sciences, and the visual and performing arts. Several private schools also serve Virginia Beach communities, including schools affiliated with the Catholic and Jewish faiths.

There are two private universities located in Virginia Beach: Regent University, which was founded by Christian evangelist Pat Robertson, and Atlantic University, which is associated with the Association for Research and Enlightenment and focuses on distance learning and continuing education. Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, and Virginia Wesleyan College are based in neighboring Norfolk. The University of Virginia and Virginia Tech both have satellite campuses in Virginia Beach.