The Social Science Research Center (SSRC) at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ (ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ) recently completed data collection for the 16th annual Life in Hampton Roads (LIHR) survey. The 2025 Life in Hampton Roads survey was generously funded by the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. The purpose of this survey is to gain insight into residents’ perceptions of the quality of life in Hampton Roads as well as other topics of local interest such as perceptions of police, politics, the economy, education, and health. A total of 718 web-based surveys were completed between July 7 and July 24, 2025. This year, unlike most previous years that employed telephone-based methods, the survey was conducted using a web-based approach. One portion of the survey sample (n=592) was obtained from Dynata which has the largest proprietary source of online sample. Dynata recruits more broadly (online coverage) into their proprietary panels than any other sample provider (for more information, please see ). Dynata panel participants have agreed to complete surveys in exchange for rewards or incentives. Participants include those from traditional and co-branded access panels, opt-in databases, and loyalty programs, where individuals engage in research projects and other activities like watching ads or completing marketing offers.
The second portion of the web-based survey sample (n=126) was completed by residents who had previously participated in a Life in Hampton Roads telephone survey and agreed to share their email addresses, allowing them to be invited to complete web-based surveys in the future. The survey data were weighted by education, gender, age, race, and Hispanic background. Changing from a telephone survey methodology to a web-based methodology limits, to some degree, the ability to compare this year’s results with those from previous years, or to confidently generalize the results to the Hampton Roads population as a whole. However, some comparisons over time are provided in this year’s report.
Survey Demographics
While most of the data reported here is weighted as described above, demographic data described below is unweighted to provide a description of the demographic coverage achieved by the survey. Of the 718 citizens who completed the survey, 63% were white, 26.9% were Black or African American, and 10.2% considered themselves to be another race/ethnicity. This includes 1% identifying as American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 3.2% Asian and 3.8% multiracial. In a separate question, 4.9% of respondents indicated that they were of Hispanic/Latino origin.
More than one-third of respondents were male (36.8%) and 62.8% were female, and the average age was 51.2 years. More than 40% (42.7%) of respondents received a high school diploma or GED, completed trade or professional school, or attended some college. An additional 43.9% of respondents completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree. Forty-five percent of respondents were married and 20.9% were divorced, separated or widowed. About one-quarter of those surveyed were single and not living with a partner (24.8%) while a small portion of single people reported living with a partner (9.3%).
| Race |
Percentage |
|---|---|
| White |
63.0% |
| Black/African American |
26.9% |
| American Indian or Alaskan Native |
1.0% |
| Asian |
3.2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
0.1% |
| Multiracial |
3.8% |
| Other |
2.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino Origin |
Percentage |
|---|---|
| Yes |
4.9% |
| No |
94.3% |
| Did not respond |
.8% |
| Gender |
Percentage |
|---|---|
| Male |
36.8% |
| Female |
62.8% |
| Prefer to self-identify |
0.3% |
| Did not respond |
0.1% |
| Highest level of school completed |
Percentage |
|---|---|
| Some grade school |
0.1% |
| Some high school |
1.4% |
| High school diploma/GED |
16.2% |
| Completed trade/professional school |
4.5% |
| Some college |
22.0% |
| Associate degree |
12.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree |
23.3% |
| Graduate degree |
20.6% |
| Age |
Age in years |
|---|---|
| Average age (years) |
51.2 |
|
Marital Status |
Percentage |
|---|---|
| Single, not living with partner |
24.8% |
| Single, living with partner |
9.3% |
| Married |
45.0% |
| Divorced/separated |
15.5% |
| Widowed |
5.4% |
