THE RESEARCH WORKBENCH
Evidence, with the gaps visible.
The application carries the original research corpus forward. A schema is not the same thing as a fully measured dataset.
What is in use
Source-linked municipality profiles, population context, published economic reporting areas, school-division inventories, employer research, and a small set of explicitly editorial lifestyle associations.
These records inform exploratory comparisons only. The app does not silently invent values for missing cells.
What still needs research
Primary-source reconciliation for smaller-town estimates; missing employer top tens; consistent current housing, route, school-assignment, safety, food, tax, insurance, and healthcare access data.
Regional expansion requires geography and measurement adapters, not just a new city list.
Source registry
Links and review notes from 2026-09-10. These are not immutable archived source documents, and links have not been re-audited for this migration.
- HRPDC locality directory
HRPDC · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Regional water supply planning participating localities
HRPDC · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
27-place baseline; updated water planning additionally includes New Kent. Registry is a product scope, not an MSA definition.
- GDP by county and personal income by county, 2024
BEA · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- BEA Virginia combined geographies notes
BEA · period 2023 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Geography-method reference, not the source of 2024 values.
- ACS 2024 five-year API documentation
US Census Bureau · period 2020-2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Virginia Uniform Crime Reporting
Virginia State Police · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Fair Housing Act overview
HUD · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- HUD clarification on crime and school information
HUD · period 2026-04-24 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Current federal guidance does not make factual school/crime information categorically prohibited. Apply consistently, avoid protected-class steering, and obtain state/local legal review.
- 2024 incorporated town population estimates, Southampton
USAFacts, republishing Census PEP · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Secondary presentation; primary Census row still to be reconciled.
- 2024 incorporated town population estimates, Surry
USAFacts, republishing Census PEP · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Secondary presentation; primary Census row still to be reconciled.
- 2024 incorporated town population estimates, Isle of Wight
USAFacts, republishing Census PEP · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Secondary presentation; primary Census row still to be reconciled.
- Claremont Comprehensive Plan
Town of Claremont · period 2023-12-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
2020 census population 305; present source scope is the town, not Surry County.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Chesapeake
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Virginia Beach
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Norfolk
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Hampton
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Newport News
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Portsmouth
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Suffolk
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Gloucester County
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Isle of Wight County
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: James City County + Williamsburg
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: York County + Poquoson
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Southampton County + Franklin
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- 2024 nominal GDP: Surry County
BEA via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source units thousands of current US dollars. Stored value converted to USD. Updated 2026-02-05.
- VDOE public-school directory: Chesapeake
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Franklin City
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Gloucester
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Hampton
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Isle of Wight
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Williamsburg-James City County
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Newport News
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Norfolk
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Portsmouth
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Poquoson
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Southampton
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Suffolk
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Surry County
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: Virginia Beach
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- VDOE public-school directory: York County
Virginia Department of Education · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Manual count of directory entries; category is VDOE-reported. Not all private schools, not enrollment, not distinct buildings, not quality.
- Census QuickFacts: Chesapeake
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Franklin
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Hampton
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Newport News
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Norfolk
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Poquoson
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Portsmouth
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Suffolk
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Virginia Beach
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Williamsburg
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Gloucester County
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Isle of Wight County
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: James City County
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Southampton County
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Surry County
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: York County
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Census QuickFacts: Smithfield
US Census Bureau · period 2025-07-01 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Population is Vintage 2025; ACS values separately carry 2020-2024 period.
- Top 10 reported employers
Chesapeake Economic Development / QCEW · period 2024 Q2 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Historical employer reporting entities, not current job openings; no local headcounts supplied.
- Top 10 reported employers
City of Norfolk / QCEW · period 2023 Q4 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Historical legal/reporting entities. EVMS and ODU entries are not a claim of separate current institutions. Table visually reviewed, PDF page 7.
- Top 10 reported employers
Virginia Works / Isle of Wight · period 2025 Q1 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Published 2025-08-15; table visually reviewed, PDF page 23. Source reporting entities retained; no brand-level aggregation.
- Top 10 reported employers
York County · period 2025 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Reported counts. Military/civilian and part-time definitions require harmonization before cross-place analysis.
- Top 10 principal employers
City of Williamsburg FY2027 budget profile · period 2025 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Reported ranges include part-time/seasonal. PDF page 11 visually reviewed. Reporting-location scope is not a geocoded campus boundary.
- 10 selected major-employer entries
Virginia Beach Economic Development · period 2025 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source says public sector/retail excluded but includes civilian base employment; scope inconsistency flagged. Not the top 10 of all employers.
- 10 selected regional major employers
Franklin Southampton Economic Development · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
Five manufacturing and five non-manufacturing examples, not an overall top-10 ranking. Underlying date absent; names are source-reported and may be historical.
- Six named major employers
Gloucester County · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
Unranked source list; remaining top-10 verification pending.
- Three historically identified leading employers
Virginia Cooperative Extension · period 2023 · reviewed 2026-09-06
Published 2024-04-08. Historical list; newer report snippets conflict, so not presented as current top three.
- Principal-employer names: counts quarantined
Newport News Public Schools ACFR · period 2024 / reported in 2025 · reviewed 2026-09-06
PDF page 147 has apparent row/count alignment defects; no ranks or headcounts approved. This is a selected list of names, not a verified top 10. Canon appears as an additional entry in source.
- Top-10 employer table: verification queued
Local government / Virginia Works · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source located but complete, dated, comparable table not verified in this research pass.
- Top-10 employer table: verification queued
Local government / Virginia Works · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source located but complete, dated, comparable table not verified in this research pass.
- Top-10 employer table: verification queued
Local government / Virginia Works · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source located but complete, dated, comparable table not verified in this research pass.
- Top-10 employer table: verification queued
Local government / Virginia Works · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source located but complete, dated, comparable table not verified in this research pass.
- Top-10 employer table: verification queued
Local government / Virginia Works · period not established · reviewed 2026-09-06
Source located but complete, dated, comparable table not verified in this research pass.
- First Landing State Park
Virginia DCR · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- False Cape State Park
Virginia DCR · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
US Fish & Wildlife Service · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Dismal Swamp Canal Trail
Chesapeake Tourism · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Colonial National Historical Park
National Park Service · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Fort Monroe National Monument
National Park Service · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Elizabeth River Trail
City of Norfolk · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Chrysler Museum of Art
Chrysler Museum of Art · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Norfolk City of Arts
City of Norfolk · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- York River State Park
Virginia DCR · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Chippokes State Park
Virginia DCR · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Machicomoco State Park
Virginia DCR · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Windsor Castle Park
Smithfield Parks & Recreation · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- The Mariners’ Museum and Park
The Mariners’ Museum and Park · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Riverside Walter Reed Hospital
Riverside Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
Sentara Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Sentara Leigh Hospital
Sentara Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
Sentara Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg
Riverside Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Sentara CarePlex Hospital
Sentara Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Sentara Obici Hospital
Sentara Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Chesapeake Regional Medical Center
Chesapeake Regional Healthcare · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
Bon Secours · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Riverside Regional Medical Center
Riverside Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Bon Secours Southampton Medical Center
Bon Secours · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
Sentara Health · period 2026-09-06 · reviewed 2026-09-06
- Virginia State Police 2024 Crime in Virginia (VIBRS)
Virginia State Police · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-07
Incident-based violent and property offense reporting across independent cities, counties, and municipal law enforcement agencies. Values entered manually from the published tables; no archived document hash.
- Virginia Department of Education 2023-2024 School Quality Profiles
Virginia Department of Education · period 2023-2024 · reviewed 2026-09-07
Accreditation benchmarks, composite Standards of Learning (SOL) pass rates, 4-year on-time graduation cohorts, and student growth. Values entered manually from the published tables; no archived document hash.
- Virginia Department of Taxation 2024 Local Tax Rates Survey
Virginia Department of Taxation · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-07
Annual compilation of nominal real estate and personal property tax rates per $100 assessed value for all 95 counties, 38 independent cities, and 190 incorporated towns. Read from the TY 2024 PDF (https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/2024-local-tax-rates.pdf, sha256 d5c22251be9c2ea0b58c0dfa771538feb591ac6f7114395e229643a39976499c); text extract archived under data/hampton-roads/tax/raw. Town figures are the county levy plus the town levy.
- HRTPO Regional Active Transportation Network & Multi-Use Trails Inventory
Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization · period 2024 · reviewed 2026-09-08
Off-road paved greenways, multi-use paths, and active transportation corridors across member jurisdictions. Landing page; inventory table not archived. Values entered manually from the published tables; no archived document hash.
- Overture Maps Foundation Places, release 2026-08-19.0 (Hampton Roads extract)
Overture Maps Foundation · period 2026-08 · reviewed 2026-09-08
Open places dataset (ODbL and CDLA-Permissive-2.0). Regional extract archived under data/hampton-roads/food/raw with a content hash. Names, categories, brands and coordinates only; no ratings.
- OpenStreetMap restaurants, cafes and coffee roasters via Overpass (Hampton Roads extract)
OpenStreetMap contributors · period 2026-09 · reviewed 2026-09-08
ODbL. Used for cuisine tags and chain (brand) cross-checks within 150 m of an Overture record. Extract archived with a content hash.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb county-equivalent and incorporated-place boundaries
U.S. Census Bureau · period 2026 · reviewed 2026-09-08
Polygons used to assign each establishment to a city, county or town by point-in-polygon. Public domain.
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (detailed tables B25077, B25064, B19013, B08013, B08303, B28002, B25003)
U.S. Census Bureau · period 2020-2024 · reviewed 2026-09-08
Public table-based summary files (no API key). The 27 Hampton Roads rows of each table, the geography rows and the variable definitions are archived under data/hampton-roads/acs/raw with content hashes; margins of error are 90 percent. Medians are published directly; commute, broadband and owner-occupancy are derived from published counts with Census ratio/proportion margin formulas.