Suffolk, VA Homes For Rent

Homes for Rent in Suffolk, VA: What You Need to Know

Suffolk is Virginia’s largest city in terms of land area, covering 400.17 square miles. The city is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area in southeastern Virginia. 

Job Opportunities in Suffolk, VA

The U.S. Naval Information Forces employs about 2,250 people in its Suffolk headquarters. It provides manpower and training in the areas of information operations, intelligence, and networks, among others. The city’s other big employers include Suffolk Public Schools, Sentara Health System, Target (warehousing and distribution), QVC (warehousing and distribution), and Towne Bank. Apart from the military, Suffolk’s major industries include health care, manufacturing, and retail trade.

Things to Do in Suffolk, VA

The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge offers excellent outdoor recreation. You can hike or bike on more than 80 miles of trails. Lake Drummond, located within the refuge, is a popular destination for boating and fishing. The refuge encompasses more than 112,000 acres of an environmentally and biologically important habitat. The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts is the region’s premier venue for visual and performing arts. The center boasts of a 500-seat theater for ballets, concerts, films, musicals, and other events. The center, designed in the Greek Revival style, is located downtown. 

Is Suffolk, VA a Good Place to Live?

Yes, according to financial and news websites such as CNN Money and NerdWallet, which have recognized the city for its quality of life and affordability. The cost of living rate in Suffolk (population: 92,108) is 1.3% higher than the national average. However, food and housing costs are 21.9% and 4.2% lower than the national average, respectively, with median gross rent at $1,201. Virginia doesn’t tax Social Security benefits, but it levies 2% to 5.75% in income tax and 5.3% to 7% in sales tax.

What’s Unique About Suffolk, VA?

The city was once dubbed Peanut Capital for being a major producer of America’s favorite legume. Birdsong Peanuts, headquartered in Suffolk since 1939, is a pillar of Virginia’s peanut industry. Suffolk continues to celebrate the annual Virginia Peanut Festival, a three-day event featuring concerts, amusement rides, contests, a demolition derby, a truck and tractor pull, motorcycle rally, and fireworks. Suffolk first hosted the festival in January 1941.

What Kind of Weather Does Suffolk, VA Have?

Summers in Suffolk are hot and muggy, while winters are very cold and windy, but short. Although Virginia isn’t known for twisters unlike states in the Tornado Alley or Dixie Alley, Suffolk experienced an EF3 tornado on April 28, 2008. The tornado carved a destructive path of about 20 miles, injuring about 200 people.