A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Onley$1,430/mo

Typical home $259K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.34% · or rent about $908/mo · Housing →

Melfa$1,370/mo

Typical home $242K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.48% · or rent about $841/mo · Housing →

The difference: $70 a month, about $800 a year, between Onley and Melfa.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

OnleyMelfa

Snow a year7″7″

January low30°F 30°F

July high88°F 88°F

Growing season (days)216d 216d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)71st 71st

Outdoors & history

OnleyMelfa

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land0%—

Archive photos—10

Famous people born here—1

Community

OnleyMelfa

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

3 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

OnleyMelfa

Onley ↔ Melfa3.2 miles apart

Who commutes between them

4 Melfa residents work in Onley (2.6% of its workers)

Work & commute in Melfa →

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Virginia average

OnleyMelfa

People

Population 678Highest 468Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.1% VA: +7.9% —

Median age 33.1±15.7Highest 15% below VA 29.8±13.8Lowest 24% below VA

Onley and Melfa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 29.4%±15.1Lowest VA: 21.7% 39.3%±11.2Highest VA: 21.7%

Melfa and Onley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 15.6%±10Highest VA: 16.7% 14.3%±8.9Lowest VA: 16.7%

Onley and Melfa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.9%Lowest VA: 42.2% 28%Highest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.4%±2.3Lowest VA: 6.9% 1.3%±3.3Highest VA: 6.9%

Melfa and Onley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $57,837±$20kHighest 38% below VA $28,958±$12kLowest 69% below VA

Onley and Melfa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $323,100±$33kHighest 16% below VA $174,300±$40kLowest 55% below VA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $908±$638Highest 42% below VA $841±$95Lowest 47% below VA

Onley and Melfa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,083Highest 61% below VA $841Lowest 70% below VA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 20.4%±26.2Lowest VA: 48.5% 66.3%±39.4Highest VA: 48.5%

Melfa and Onley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 8.6%Lowest VA: 9.9% 24.6%Highest VA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 66.2%Highest VA: 67.3% 56.7%Lowest VA: 67.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1956Lowest 28 yrs older than VA 1971Highest 13 yrs older than VA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 15 minLowest 44% below VA 27 minHighest about the VA average

Work from home 17.9%±19.4Highest VA: 18.3% 9%±8Lowest VA: 18.3%

Onley and Melfa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 2.4%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 25.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.77Highest 0.26Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Accomac (10%)Accomac (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Melfa3% work in Onley

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 62.2Lowest 131Highest

Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Onley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Onley’s Town Square.

Melfa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Melfa’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Onley

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Mineral555 people · $267K homes

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Parksley867 people · $163K homes

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Toms Brook439 people · $227K homes

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Accomac948 people · $252K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Onley vs Melfa

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

3 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Onley and Melfa

Towns like Onley

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