Start your Norfolk, VA search
How many bedrooms do you need?
Get matched with your perfect apartment—faster
Join / Sign inTop cities
Renter tools
Smarter moves, less stress
Get matched with your perfect apartment—faster
Join / Sign inSmarter moves, less stress
Norfolk is one of the best places to live in Virginia. It sits along the Chesapeake Bay and offers stunning coastal scenery, a vibrant cultural scene, and a reasonable cost of living. The city is also a healthcare and medical education hub, home to Eastern Virginia Medical School and Sentara Health System. And it’s the location of Naval Station Norfolk, the world's most extensive naval base.
Students, professionals, and military personnel alike love Norfolk’s laid-back waterside community and urban convenience. From quiet residential areas to the bustling downtown core, the city has apartments in Norfolk to suit any lifestyle.
If you're hunting for Norfolk apartments, you won’t find personalized results just by typing "apartments for rent near me" into Google. Instead, try Apartment List — our AI-powered app generates an extensive list of rentals tailored to your needs. Start by downloading the app from Google Play or the App Store, then take the Renter Quiz to tell us what you’re looking for in a new home.
Our easy-to-use platform offers the following features to help you find apartments to rent in Norfolk, VA:
Start your Norfolk adventure today with Apartment List. We'll help you find a home you love in just a few swipes.
National study of renter’s satisfaction with their cities and states
Apartment List has released Norfolk’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of 111 million American renters nationwide.
"Norfolk renters expressed general satisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "They gave most categories near average scores."
Key findings in Norfolk include the following:
Renters say:
For more information on the survey methodology and findings or to speak to one of our researchers, please contact our team at rentonomics@apartmentlist.com.
*Based on base prices that don’t include fees
Waterfront renaissance energizes Downtown Norfolk, where historic buildings alongside sleek new developments face the Elizabeth River. The walkable district offers genuine urban living with restaurants, performing arts venues, and the popular Waterside marketplace just steps from most rentals. Though pricing exceeds suburban alternatives, the elimination of commuting time and car dependency for daily needs creates substantial quality-of-life improvements that many residents find justifies the investment.
Historic Ghent combines Victorian architecture with vibrant street life around the Colley Avenue corridor. Rental options include apartments in converted grand homes and newer buildings designed to complement the historic character. The neighborhood offers exceptional walkability to restaurants, the Chrysler Museum, and the Hague waterfront, though parking challenges require most renters to secure dedicated spaces or permits for street parking in this densely developed district.
Beachfront accessibility defines East Ocean View, where rental homes along Chesapeake Bay offer direct water access at significantly better rates than Virginia Beach oceanfront properties. The neighborhood features a mix of vintage cottages and new construction with varied price points. Though some blocks show investment transitions, the combination of affordability and beach proximity creates compelling value for water enthusiasts seeking authentic coastal living.