Ask ten locals to name the best neighborhoods in Virginia Beach and you’ll hear the same names over and over. The North End. Bay Colony. Great Neck, Alanton, Chic’s Beach, Sandbridge, Lago Mar, Kempsville, Pungo. Nine very different versions of coastal living, and the right one depends on your budget, your commute, and what you want your weekends to look like.
Our team at Davis & Reed Realty has helped 4,500+ families buy and sell across Hampton Roads, so these picks come from years of showing homes on these exact streets.
The North End: Quiet Oceanfront Living
The North End runs along the oceanfront north of the resort area, roughly 42nd Street to 89th Street. No hotels, no boardwalk crowds. Just quiet streets where older beach cottages sit next to striking new construction, with direct beach access at the end of nearly every block.
It’s also one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Virginia Beach. The median sale price hovers around $1.2 million, and the larger oceanfront homes go well past that. What you’re paying for is beachfront living without the tourist traffic. Residents bike to the sand and walk to their morning coffee. If you love that idea but want more of a surf-town feel, look at Croatan just south of Rudee Inlet too.
Bay Colony: Historic Charm Near the Oceanfront
Bay Colony is just inland from the oceanfront near Linkhorn Bay, and it dates back to the era of the historic Cavalier Hotel. The historic charm here is real, not marketing speak. Tree lined streets, generous lots, classic homes mixed in with custom builds.
Buyers get a settled, elegant neighborhood minutes from both the beach and the shopping and dining along Laskin Road. Fair warning, though. Bay Colony homes are among the priciest in the city, and they rarely sit on the market long.
The Great Neck Area: Room to Spread Out Between the Waterways
Water everywhere you look. The Great Neck area sits between the Lynnhaven River and Broad Bay, so boat docks and water views are just part of the scenery. You also get quick access to Chesapeake Bay beaches and First Landing State Park, where trails wind through maritime forest and end at quiet stretches of sand.
Great Neck is really a collection of communities rather than one neighborhood, everything from waterfront estates to comfortable single-family homes. The typical home value runs around $537,000 as of spring 2026. Shopping centers along Great Neck Road cover the everyday errands, and the oceanfront is a short drive.
Much of the area falls within the Frank W. Cox High School attendance zone. You can browse listings by school zone on our site, and it’s smart to verify zoning directly with the district since boundaries can change.
Alanton: Custom Homes and a Close Knit Community
Alanton stands out even among Virginia Beach’s established neighborhoods. It sits on a peninsula bordered by Broad Bay and Linkhorn Bay, with custom-built homes on large lots, mature trees, and wide, quiet streets.
What actually defines the place is a strong sense of community. The Alanton Civic League runs community events all year, including a Fourth of July parade and a neighborhood triathlon. People wave here. It’s that kind of close knit.
Chic’s Beach: Coastal Charm on the Chesapeake Bay
Officially it’s Chesapeake Beach, but nobody calls it that. The nickname comes from Chic’s, a restaurant that fed the area back in the early 1900s, and the name stuck for good.
The neighborhood sits on the Chesapeake Bay near the Bridge-Tunnel, with Shore Drive along its southern edge. It’s a tight knit community with a casual, sandy-feet vibe. The bay’s calmer water is great for swimming and paddleboarding, the sunsets are worth planning your evening around, and the neighborhood restaurants near the water give the area its unique charm. Its proximity to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story keeps the commute short for a lot of residents, too.
Sandbridge: Virginia Beach’s Answer to the Outer Banks
Drive to the southern end of the city and the landscape changes on you. Sandbridge is a stretch of pristine beaches and dunes that feels more like the Outer Banks than part of a city of nearly half a million people. There’s no commercial strip. Beach houses, quiet sand, direct beach access, and that’s about it. Which is the whole point.
Sandbridge draws full-time residents and vacation-home buyers alike, and beachfront properties here regularly sell for seven figures. Surfing, fishing, kayaking through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a lazy afternoon at Little Island Park. The outdoor activities fill the calendar on their own.
Lago Mar: Outdoor Recreation at the Gateway to Sandbridge
Lago Mar sits in the southern part of the city between Nimmo Parkway and Sandbridge Road, the last neighborhood before Sandbridge itself. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge borders it to the east, so natural beauty isn’t a weekend outing here. It’s the view from the kitchen window.
The neighborhood offers spacious homes, three parks, and golf at nearby Hell’s Point Golf Club, and the civic league hosts social events like a Fourth of July parade and an annual Oktoberfest. If you want a larger home with beach access minutes away, Lago Mar is a standout choice.
Kempsville: Convenience and Value in the Middle of It All
Not everyone needs to see the ocean from the porch. Kempsville offers one of the most attainable price points in the city, with a typical home value around $360,000 as of mid 2026. Its central location and convenient access to I-264 keep commutes across Hampton Roads manageable.
The area is packed with shopping centers, parks, recreational activities, and dining options, and Town Center’s restaurants and nightlife are a short drive away. More house for your money, no real sacrifice on convenience. That math wins a lot of buyers over.
Pungo: Country Living Inside City Limits
Yes, there are farms in Virginia Beach. Pungo is proof that Virginia Beach offers more than beaches. This rural southern district is the agricultural heart of the city, known for farm stands, you-pick strawberry fields, and properties with real acreage.
Buyers come here for space, quiet, and a slower pace, with modern comforts still a reasonable drive away. If the dream includes a big yard, a garden, or horses, this is where you look.
Living in Virginia Beach as a Military Buyer
Virginia Beach is home to NAS Oceana and the Dam Neck Annex, with Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story on the city’s northern edge. Where you’re stationed should shape your search. Chic’s Beach and the other Shore Drive communities work well for Little Creek-Fort Story. Great Neck and Kempsville offer easy access to Oceana. Sandbridge and Lago Mar sit closest to Dam Neck.
We work with military buyers every week, VA loans and tight PCS timelines included. House hunting from another duty station? We’ll tour homes for you and video call you through every showing.
How to Choose the Right Neighborhood
Get pre-approved first. It’s not the fun part, but it tells you your real budget before you fall in love with the wrong street. Then visit your short-list neighborhoods at different times of day, and drive your actual commute in actual rush hour traffic.
One more thing buyers forget. If a property sits near the water, ask about flood zones and flood insurance costs early, because they can change your monthly payment more than you’d expect.
School attendance zones matter to many buyers too. You can search homes by attendance zone on our site, including the Kellam High School and Frank W. Cox High School zones, and confirm the details with the district directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best part of Virginia Beach to live in?
There’s no single best part, only the best fit for you. Beach-focused buyers gravitate to the North End, Sandbridge, and Chic’s Beach. Buyers who want established neighborhoods with land lean toward Alanton and Great Neck. Value and convenience point to Kempsville.
What are the richest neighborhoods in Virginia Beach?
The North End, Bay Colony, Croatan, and oceanfront Sandbridge top the list, with plenty of sales above $1 million.
Ready to Find Your Virginia Beach Neighborhood?
The best neighborhoods in Virginia Beach all have one thing in common: people who love living there and won’t stop telling you about it. Oceanfront mornings at the North End, civic league cookouts in Alanton, strawberry stands in Pungo. Somewhere on that list is a street with your name on it. Browse current Virginia Beach listings on our site, or call the Davis & Reed Realty team at (757) 287-2717. We’ll help you find the right neighborhood to call home.
