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VAVirginia rankings

Towns where rent is easiest to afford in Virginia

Ranked by the share of renter households spending 30% or more of their income on rent, the federal "cost-burdened" line. 95 towns with 2,500+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

1 Franconia 28.6% Median rent $2,605 Map of Timberlake 2 Timberlake 29.4% Median rent $1,083 Map of Yorkshire 3 Yorkshire 29.6% Median rent $1,777
#TownRenters paying 30%+Median rentRenter households
1 Franconia18,335 people 28.6% $2,605 1,757
2 Map of Timberlake Timberlake12,725 people 29.4% $1,083 1,843
3 Map of Yorkshire Yorkshire9,782 people 29.6% $1,777 1,481
4 Herndon Herndon24,672 people 30.4% $2,259 2,828
5 Vinton Vinton8,056 people 30.6% $992 1,389
6 Abingdon Abingdon8,330 people 33.4% $838 1,511
7 Merrimac2,733 people 34.1% $1,101 1,047
8 Map of Reston Reston64,414 people 35.7% $2,231 11,067
9 Oakton36,528 people 36.4% $2,276 4,568
10 Tysons Tysons28,936 people 36.4% $2,497 9,175
11 Cave Spring25,742 people 38.6% $1,285 3,298
12 South Riding34,352 people 38.7% $2,905 1,701
13 Map of Christiansburg Christiansburg22,720 people 39% $1,181 3,802
14 Glen Allen Glen Allen17,551 people 39.7% $1,804 1,527
15 Martinsville13,658 people 39.7% $808 2,282
16 Fair Lakes8,894 people 39.9% $2,419 1,439
17 Map of Arlington Arlington236,254 people 40.1% $2,322 63,692
18 Map of Burke Burke44,029 people 40.4% $2,894 1,383
19 Short Pump Short Pump29,026 people 40.9% $1,847 4,730
20 Merrifield Merrifield20,698 people 40.9% $2,368 5,682
21 Map of Idylwood Idylwood17,559 people 41.1% $2,045 3,164
22 Bristol Bristol16,849 people 41.2% $801 2,404
23 McNair22,655 people 41.5% $2,287 6,875
24 Seven Corners Seven Corners9,371 people 41.9% $1,632 1,946
25 Map of Culpeper Culpeper20,794 people 42% $1,416 2,774
26 Map of Rose Hill Rose Hill21,066 people 42.1% $2,475 1,358
27 Front Royal Front Royal15,296 people 42.4% $1,135 2,312
28 Lake Ridge Lake Ridge46,049 people 42.6% $2,033 3,631
29 Madison Heights Madison Heights10,266 people 42.6% $871 1,277
30 Falls Church14,710 people 43.2% $2,190 2,964
31 Map of Groveton Groveton13,931 people 43.2% $1,820 2,247
32 Map of West Springfield West Springfield22,532 people 44.4% $2,455 1,076
33 Danville Danville42,214 people 44.6% $836 9,473
34 West Falls Church West Falls Church31,279 people 44.6% $2,066 3,297
35 Alexandria156,976 people 45.3% $2,089 43,122
36 Roanoke Roanoke98,355 people 45.3% $996 19,171
37 Burke Centre17,037 people 45.3% $2,515 1,134
38 Staunton Staunton25,948 people 45.6% $1,024 4,166
39 Brandermill13,730 people 45.6% $1,782 1,663
40 Hybla Valley Hybla Valley17,257 people 45.7% $1,631 2,947
41 Leesylvania Leesylvania21,632 people 46% $2,289 2,598
42 Tuckahoe Tuckahoe49,183 people 46.1% $1,536 6,865
43 Map of Bon Air Bon Air16,904 people 46.1% $1,799 1,625
44 Harrisonburg Harrisonburg51,392 people 46.4% $1,184 10,101
45 Map of Waynesboro Waynesboro22,841 people 46.4% $1,020 3,905
46 Bull Run Bull Run16,859 people 46.5% $2,002 4,047
47 Map of Huntington Huntington13,502 people 46.6% $2,062 4,089
48 Map of Sterling Sterling32,411 people 47% $2,138 2,647
49 Map of Woodbridge Woodbridge43,945 people 47.1% $2,101 6,325
50 Map of Chester Chester24,474 people 47.6% $1,603 2,548
51 Ashland Ashland7,772 people 47.9% $1,229 1,210
52 Fair Oaks Fair Oaks35,545 people 48.2% $2,275 8,270
53 Leesburg Leesburg49,171 people 48.5% $2,105 5,107
54 McLean McLean49,627 people 48.7% $3,422 2,084
55 Fredericksburg Fredericksburg28,873 people 48.8% $1,619 6,861
56 Mechanicsville Mechanicsville38,683 people 49% $1,724 3,472
57 Ashburn46,026 people 50.4% $2,455 5,444
58 Salem Salem25,618 people 50.8% $1,133 3,610
59 Map of Newport News Newport News184,216 people 51.1% $1,339 37,719
60 Petersburg Petersburg33,537 people 51.1% $1,174 8,877
61 Map of Fairfax Fairfax25,026 people 51.1% $2,245 2,503
62 Galax Galax6,726 people 51.1% $743 1,006
63 Centreville Centreville71,706 people 51.5% $2,299 6,170
64 Kingstowne Kingstowne18,360 people 51.5% $2,406 2,075
65 Lynchburg79,497 people 51.6% $1,073 13,940
66 Lincolnia Lincolnia20,320 people 51.9% $2,141 3,094
67 Map of Richmond Richmond229,359 people 52% $1,372 56,527
68 Map of Manassas Manassas42,976 people 52.2% $1,850 3,795
69 Map of Dumbarton Dumbarton7,997 people 52.2% $1,421 2,823
70 Hopewell22,959 people 53.4% $1,106 3,738
71 Virginia Beach Virginia Beach456,349 people 54.6% $1,714 59,045
72 Radford16,726 people 54.6% $1,033 3,019
73 Norfolk Norfolk233,596 people 54.9% $1,321 49,084
74 Warrenton10,176 people 54.9% $1,418 1,401
75 Winchester Winchester27,913 people 55.4% $1,315 5,893
76 Map of Dale City Dale City71,016 people 55.5% $1,876 4,158
77 Charlottesville Charlottesville45,437 people 55.5% $1,540 10,510
78 Colonial Heights18,352 people 55.5% $1,234 2,198
79 Map of Chesapeake Chesapeake252,583 people 57% $1,586 23,000
80 Suffolk Suffolk98,796 people 57% $1,563 10,319
81 Laurel Laurel18,721 people 57.2% $1,616 3,236
82 Fishersville Fishersville9,484 people 57.2% $1,483 1,307
83 Hampton Hampton137,557 people 57.3% $1,427 24,065
84 Annandale Annandale41,705 people 57.5% $1,933 4,533
85 Montrose8,285 people 57.5% $1,297 2,246
86 University of Virginia9,065 people 57.6% $1,421 1,053
87 Sandston7,399 people 58.3% $1,211 1,389
88 Map of Portsmouth Portsmouth97,190 people 59.7% $1,300 15,791
89 Bailey's Crossroads24,271 people 60% $2,021 4,708
90 Map of Springfield Springfield31,154 people 60.3% $2,656 3,397
91 Map of Bensley Bensley5,949 people 60.4% $1,238 1,354
92 Bellwood7,907 people 61.3% $1,059 1,676
93 Blacksburg Blacksburg45,446 people 63% $1,359 7,205
94 Williamsburg Williamsburg15,798 people 63.3% $1,407 2,283
95 Fort Belvoir8,449 people 71.1% $3,236 1,873

How this ranking works

We rank every town by the share of renter households spending 30% or more of their income on rent, the federal "cost-burdened" line. Lower is better. Only towns with 1,000+ renter households are ranked, because smaller samples are too uncertain. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. For comparison, the figure for Virginia as a whole is 48.5%.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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