Which Newport News neighborhoods does Michael Freeman serve?

Michael works across all of Newport News and knows 23601, 23602 and 23606 best: Hilton Village, Beaconsdale, Kiln Creek, Hidenwood and Port Warwick, where he has lived for many years. His office is at City Center on Fountain Way.

What are property taxes in Newport News?

The real estate tax rate is $1.18 per $100 of assessed value, set by City Council. On a home assessed at $300,000, that is about $3,540 a year before any relief programs. Michael confirms the current assessment on every property he shows.

Do Newport News homes need flood insurance?

It depends on the exact address. First Street data rates citywide flood risk as Moderate, with about 25% of properties likely to be severely affected over 30 years, and lower shares in 23601 and 23606. Michael checks the FEMA flood zone before an offer, because flood insurance can change a monthly payment significantly.

How does the shipyard affect the Newport News housing market?

Newport News Shipbuilding employs about 26,000 people, and Fort Eustis, Jefferson Lab and Riverside Regional Medical Center add thousands more jobs. That employment base keeps demand steady through interest-rate swings, especially in neighborhoods with short commutes to the yard and City Center.

Is Newport News competitive for buyers right now?

Redfin rates the city Very Competitive. The median sale price was $309,852 in September 2026, homes sold in a median of 33 days, and about a third sold above list. Michael helps buyers get pre-approved before they tour so they can act quickly on the right home.

Can Michael help with a military relocation to Newport News?

Yes. Michael holds the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) designation and works with VA financing regularly. He helps relocating buyers compare commutes to Fort Eustis, the shipyard and other installations, and can guide much of the search remotely.

Newport News, VA Real Estate | Michael Freeman, Principal Broker

About

A Port Warwick Neighbor Who Brokers the Whole City

Michael Freeman has practiced real estate in Hampton Roads since 2002, and Newport News is where he lives and keeps his office. He leads Legacy Builders Realty Group as Principal Broker and brings a law enforcement background to every transaction.

Broker and founder

Michael is Principal Broker and Founder of Legacy Builders Realty Group, with his office at 11815 Fountain Way in City Center.

A Port Warwick neighbor

He has lived in Port Warwick for many years, so he knows Styron Square, Hidenwood and the 23606 streets from the sidewalk, not a map.

Trained to protect people

Before real estate he served as a police officer in New York City and Norfolk. That training shows up in every inspection and negotiation.

Educator first

He has taught a first-time homebuyer course in Virginia and holds the SRES and MRP designations for seniors and military relocations.

This Area

Understanding Newport News, Virginia

Newport News runs along the James River from the shipyard and the downtown waterfront in the south to Fort Eustis and Newport News Park in the north. The 1958 merger with the city of Warwick explains much of its shape: older grid neighborhoods such as the North End and Hilton Village near the water, postwar suburbs along Warwick Boulevard, and planned communities such as Kiln Creek and Port Warwick near Jefferson Avenue and I-64. Newport News Shipbuilding, Fort Eustis, Jefferson Lab and Riverside Regional Medical Center anchor a large and steady workforce, so demand here leans on paychecks more than speculation. About half of homes are owner-occupied, prices sit near the middle of the Hampton Roads range, and flood exposure changes from one street to the next. Buyers who understand those layers, and sellers who price for them, do well here.

“In a city built by shipbuilders, Michael Freeman treats every home like a vessel: inspect the hull, read the water, and only then set a course.”

Market Snapshot

Newport News by the Numbers

Citywide figures from Redfin for the most recent month reported. Individual neighborhoods run well above and below them, especially 23606.

$309,852

Median sale price

Median days on market

99.4%

Sale-to-list ratio

$196

Median price per square foot

Source: Redfin, September 2026 (sale-to-list from August 2026). These figures shift month to month; ask Michael for current numbers on a specific neighborhood.

Local Insights

100 Things to Know About Newport News

Ten categories, each grounded in a named place, a public record or a sourced number. Open any category to read it.

Market Fundamentals

The median sale price in Newport News was $309,852 in September 2026, up 3.3% from a year earlier (Redfin).
Homes citywide went under contract in a median of 33 days in September 2026, the same pace as a year earlier (Redfin).
The citywide sale-to-list ratio was 99.4% in August 2026, so well-priced homes are selling close to asking (Redfin).
About 36.7% of Newport News homes recently sold above list price, while 31.9% of listings took a price cut. Pricing right at launch matters on both sides (Redfin).
Redfin rates Newport News a 74 on its Compete Score, in its "Very Competitive" band.
The citywide median price per square foot was $196 over the last three months, up 7.4% year over year (Redfin).
In 23601, which covers Hilton Village and the area around Riverside Regional Medical Center, the median sale price was $310,909 in September 2026, with a median of 27 days on market (Redfin).
In 23606, home to Port Warwick, Hidenwood and Christopher Newport University, the median sale price was $409,880 in September 2026, up 7.0% year over year (Redfin).
Median days on market in 23606 fell from 38 to 28 between September 2025 and September 2026 (Redfin).
In 23602, which includes Kiln Creek, the median sale price was $329,925 in June 2026, up 6.4% year over year (Redfin).
The median value of owner-occupied homes in Newport News is $260,600 in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, well below today's sale prices, which shows how much values have moved.
Median monthly owner costs are $1,730 with a mortgage and $632 without one (ACS 2020-2024).

History & Heritage

The name "Newportes Newes" appears in records as early as 1621. Its origin is uncertain, though the most popular theory ties it to Captain Christopher Newport.
Newport News incorporated as an independent city on January 16, 1896, with Walter A. Post as its first mayor.
Warwick County, created as Warwick River Shire in 1634, became the city of Warwick in 1952 and merged with Newport News on July 1, 1958.
Collis P. Huntington's railroad reached the Peninsula in 1881, and he founded Newport News Shipbuilding on January 28, 1886, as the Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Co.
The shipyard's first vessel, the tugboat Dorothy, still sits outside the yard gates. The yard marked 140 years of service in January 2026.
Hilton Village was the federal government's first planned community, built in 1918 to house shipyard workers during World War I.
Hilton Village's 473 homes were built from 14 house plans on about 100 acres, and the village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
Post Street, Hopkins Street and Ferguson Avenue in Hilton Village are named for three shipyard presidents.
Port Warwick takes its name from the fictional city in William Styron's novel Lie Down in Darkness. Styron himself grew up in Hilton Village.
The Battle of Hampton Roads in March 1862 was the first fight between ironclads. The USS Monitor's turret now sits in the USS Monitor Center at The Mariners' Museum, which opened in 2007.
The North End Historic District, 22 blocks along the James River developed between 1900 and 1935, includes the houses of Huntington Avenue overlooking the water.
The Victory Arch at 25th Street and West Avenue was first raised in 1919 for returning World War I troops and rebuilt in stone in 1962.

Environmental & Geographic

Newport News covers 68.99 square miles of land, and about 42% of its total area is water (Census; Wikipedia).
The city sits at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, along the James River and the Hampton Roads harbor, at an average elevation of about 15 feet.
First Street data reported by Redfin rates citywide flood risk as Moderate, with about 25% of properties likely to be severely affected over the next 30 years.
Flood exposure varies by ZIP: about 12% of properties in 23601 and 14% in 23606 face severe flood risk over 30 years (First Street via Redfin). Michael checks the FEMA zone on every address before an offer.
Wind is the bigger citywide exposure: First Street rates Newport News Severe for wind, which shows up in insurance quotes and roof requirements.
Newport News Park covers about 7,700 acres (city parks department) and is one of the largest municipal parks east of the Mississippi.
Lee Hall Reservoir and Harwood's Mill Reservoir inside Newport News Park are open to boating with a permit.
The Mariners' Museum Park covers 550 acres around the 167-acre Mariners' Lake, originally named Lake Maury.
Riverview Farm Park covers 279 acres in the Menchville section, with paved trails reaching the Warwick River and Deep Creek.
The colonial port of Warwick Towne stood where Deep Creek meets the Warwick River, near today's Menchville Marina.

Lifestyle & Culture

Port Warwick's Styron Square is a three-acre green modeled on London's squares, ringed by more than 40 locally owned shops, restaurants and medical offices.
Port Warwick hosts a Wednesday-evening summer concert series from May to August on Styron Square.
City Center at Oyster Point is a 52-acre mixed-use district with about one million square feet of office space and a five-acre fountain.
The Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University has a 1,725-seat concert hall and opened in 2005.
The Mariners' Museum holds about 32,000 artifacts and is known as America's National Maritime Museum. Admission is $1, and the park is free.
The Noland Trail circles Mariners' Lake for about five miles across 14 bridges, and the Lions Bridge dam carries four stone lions placed in 1932.
The Virginia Living Museum, which reopened under that name in 1987, has a 30,000-gallon Chesapeake Bay tank and a three-quarter-mile outdoor boardwalk.
Huntington Park has a lifeguarded James River beach in summer, the James River Fishing Pier and 20 lighted tennis courts.
Hilton Village's Main Street is part of the Main Street America program, with shops, restaurants, antiques, a library and a historic fire station.
Newport News Golf Club at Deer Run offers two 18-hole championship courses, Deer Run and Cardinal.
Newport News Park Campground has 188 sites open year-round.

Infrastructure & Access

Interstate 64 runs the length of the city, and Port Warwick sits within two miles of three I-64 interchanges.
The Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (I-664), opened in 1992, links Newport News to Suffolk and Chesapeake across 4.6 miles.
The James River Bridge carries US 17 to Isle of Wight County across about 4.4 miles, with a lift span that rises to 145 feet of clearance.
The $3.9 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion adds two new tunnels on I-64, with substantial completion expected in 2027.
The Newport News Transportation Center at 500-B Bland Boulevard opened in August 2024, with two daily Amtrak round trips to Richmond, Washington and the Northeast.
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF) sits about a mile from I-64, off Jefferson Avenue and Bland Boulevard.
Hampton Roads Transit buses serve Patrick Henry Mall, Christopher Newport University and Riverside hospital.
HRT OnDemand rideshare costs $2 per ride within its service zone and connects to six bus routes.
The mean commute to work in Newport News is 23.1 minutes (ACS 2020-2024).
Jefferson Avenue and Warwick Boulevard are the city's two long north-south spines, which is why commute time depends so much on where along them a home sits.

Schools & Education

Newport News Public Schools runs 40 schools: 3 early childhood centers, 24 elementary, 7 middle, 5 high schools and one combined middle and high school.
The five NNPS high schools are Denbigh, Heritage, Menchville, Warwick and Woodside, plus An Achievable Dream Middle & High.
Specialty programs include the Aviation Academy at Denbigh, the Governor's STEM Academy at Heritage, the Governor's Health Sciences Academy and IB Programme at Warwick, and the Arts & Communication magnet at Woodside.
The Aviation Academy, founded in 1995, trains students in grades 9 to 12 with hands-on work at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.
NNPS opened the Maritime Engineering and Environmental Studies Academy with Old Dominion University in fall 2025.
Hidenwood addresses in 23606 are assigned to Hidenwood Elementary, Gildersleeve Middle and Menchville High. Assignments change street by street, so I verify each address.
Christopher Newport University was founded in 1960 and enrolled 4,454 students in fall 2024 on a 260-acre campus.
The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding, founded in 1919, has graduated more than 11,000 apprentices in 19 shipbuilding trades.
Riverside College of Health Sciences began as a nursing school in 1916, and Virginia Peninsula Community College has served the city under that name since 2022.

Land, Development & Zoning

Port Warwick is a 150-acre New Urbanist neighborhood, the city's second-largest planned community after Kiln Creek, with its main entrance at Jefferson Avenue and Loftis Boulevard.
Port Warwick mixes single-family homes, duplexes, carriage homes and townhomes around four residential squares, and won Best New Community from the Peninsula Homebuilders Association in 2002.
The Melville, a four-story condominium on Styron Square, brought condo living above shops to the Peninsula.
The Tech Center research park covers 50 acres of the 100-acre Tech Center at Oyster Point Road and Jefferson Avenue, beside the Marketplace at Tech Center retail.
In 2019 the city received a $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant for the Marshall-Ridley area of the Southeast Community, with 487 new homes planned to replace 259 units.
The first phase of that plan, The Lift & The Rise on Jefferson, opened in December 2022 with 81 apartments and 6 townhomes.
The Apprentice School's 80,000-square-foot downtown building anchored a mixed-use project along Jefferson Avenue.
Riverside Drive frontage on the James River in 23606 is scarce: a 0.92-acre lot there was recently listed at $1.4 million.
The city's real estate tax rate is $1.18 per $100 of assessed value, set by City Council rather than the City Assessor.

Demographics

Newport News had 186,247 residents in the 2020 Census, fifth in Virginia, with an estimated 183,230 in July 2025.
The city has about 76,112 households, averaging 2.33 people each (ACS 2020-2024).
Median household income is $69,634, and per capita income is $38,773 (ACS 2020-2024, 2024 dollars).
About 30.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 92.0% hold a high school diploma (ACS 2020-2024).
About 91.6% of households have broadband, which matters for the remote and hybrid workers relocating here (ACS 2020-2024).
Population density was about 2,700 people per square mile in 2020.
Civilian labor force participation is 61.5% for residents 16 and older (ACS 2020-2024).

Investment & Value

About 48.2% of homes are owner-occupied, so roughly half the city rents, which keeps rental demand steady (ACS 2020-2024).
Median gross rent is $1,339 a month (ACS 2020-2024).
Newport News Shipbuilding employs about 26,000 people and is the largest industrial employer in Virginia.
The shipyard covers 550 acres along two miles of the James River and is the nation's only builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
Fort Eustis, part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis since 2010, is home to the Army's Training and Doctrine Command and ranks among the city's largest employers.
Jefferson Lab, a Department of Energy accelerator facility, employs more than 750 people at the Oyster Point end of the city.
Riverside Regional Medical Center on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard is a 450-bed hospital with a trauma center.
City Center employs roughly 5,000 people, which supports demand for homes in Port Warwick, Hidenwood and nearby 23606 neighborhoods.
Redfin search data from spring 2026 shows 73% of Newport News home searchers looking to stay in the metro, with the largest inflow from the Washington, DC area.

Hyper-Local Detail

Hilton Village in 23601 is bounded by the James River, Post Street, the C&O tracks and Hopkins Street.
Hilton Pier, behind Hilton Elementary, has a small park, beach and fishing pier on the James. The school itself was built in 1919 as part of the village plan.
Recent Beaconsdale sales in 23601 have been on Davis Avenue, Langley Avenue, Woods Road, Arrowhead Drive and Fontaine Road.
Warwick High School sits at 51 Copeland Lane in 23601.
Kiln Creek in 23602 is the city's largest planned community, with streets including Brick Kiln Boulevard, Lake Drive and Edgewater Drive.
Menchville High School at 275 Menchville Road and Hampton Roads Academy at 739 Academy Lane are both in 23602.
Port Warwick's streets and squares are named for American literary figures, and more than 1,500 people live within a short distance of Styron Square.
Sentara Port Warwick Medical Arts, inside the neighborhood, includes an emergency care center.
The Noland Trail's north trailhead sits across Museum Drive from The Mariners' Museum parking lot at 100 Museum Drive, 23606.
Christopher Newport University and the Ferguson Center share the address 1 Avenue of the Arts, 23606.
Michael's office is at 11815 Fountain Way in City Center, a short drive from Port Warwick, Hidenwood and the Oyster Point corridor.

Why Michael

Why Michael Freeman for Newport News

He lives the 23606 market

Day-to-day knowledge of Port Warwick, Hidenwood and City Center turns into sharper pricing on both sides of a sale.

Flood zone before falling in love

Every buyer gets the FEMA zone and an insurance estimate before an offer, which matters in a city that is about 42% water by area.

Relocation fluency

As a Military Relocation Professional, he can run much of a Fort Eustis or shipyard move remotely, on a fixed reporting date.

Consultant for life

Approximately 500 closings since 2002, and a habit of being the call clients make years after closing.

FAQ

Newport News Questions, Answered

Which Newport News neighborhoods does Michael Freeman serve?: Michael works across all of Newport News and knows 23601, 23602 and 23606 best: Hilton Village, Beaconsdale, Kiln Creek, Hidenwood and Port Warwick, where he has lived for many years. His office is at City Center on Fountain Way.
What are property taxes in Newport News?: The real estate tax rate is $1.18 per $100 of assessed value, set by City Council. On a home assessed at $300,000, that is about $3,540 a year before any relief programs. Michael confirms the current assessment on every property he shows.
Do Newport News homes need flood insurance?: It depends on the exact address. First Street data rates citywide flood risk as Moderate, with about 25% of properties likely to be severely affected over 30 years, and lower shares in 23601 and 23606. Michael checks the FEMA flood zone before an offer, because flood insurance can change a monthly payment significantly.
How does the shipyard affect the Newport News housing market?: Newport News Shipbuilding employs about 26,000 people, and Fort Eustis, Jefferson Lab and Riverside Regional Medical Center add thousands more jobs. That employment base keeps demand steady through interest-rate swings, especially in neighborhoods with short commutes to the yard and City Center.
Is Newport News competitive for buyers right now?: Redfin rates the city Very Competitive. The median sale price was $309,852 in September 2026, homes sold in a median of 33 days, and about a third sold above list. Michael helps buyers get pre-approved before they tour so they can act quickly on the right home.
Can Michael help with a military relocation to Newport News?: Yes. Michael holds the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) designation and works with VA financing regularly. He helps relocating buyers compare commutes to Fort Eustis, the shipyard and other installations, and can guide much of the search remotely.

See the Full Authority Center

Michael's Authority Center covers all Seven Cities of Hampton Roads: buying, selling, financing, VA loans, estates and the questions clients ask most.

Open the Authority Center

Other Areas