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The Governor's Palace -- Williamsburg (VA) September 2012

WilliamsburgVA

A town of 15,798, settled in 1638. Home to 14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

Photo: Ron Cogswell · CC BY 2.0
Population
15,798
+9.6% since 2010
Typical home
$468K
+1.9% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
23.7
years
Jobs based here
11,325
A job hub

What makes Williamsburg stand out

The 3 things Williamsburg does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
Cartouche John Page House 1662
1662 · Cartouche John Page House 1662 · Wikimedia Commons
Williamsburg’s story

388 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 14 places on the National Register.

Transcript of 3rd May Day speech 1699Map of Williamsburg Virginia 1702 Franz Michel1733 Virginia Laws
Explore the history →
Get outside

28 miles of trails in Williamsburg

18.3% of the town is conserved land, across 10 parks and preserves.

Map of trails and conserved land in WilliamsburgConservedTrails
1
Colonial National Historic Park155 acres
Directions
2
Redoubt Park86 acres
3
Quarterpath Park22 acres
Directions
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US

Williamsburg’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Williamsburg

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Williamsburg is #94 of 95 in VA for “Rent easiest to afford”. Fair?
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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Williamsburg. Another town gets a different order.

Outdoors

18.3% of Williamsburg is conserved land

28 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves.

#9for trails in VA
18.3%
conserved · 1,060 of 5,791 acres
28 mi
of trails · 3.1 per sq mi
#17
most conserved land in VA
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Colonial National Historic Park—155
2. Redoubt Park—86
3. Quarterpath Park—22
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute

About one in five working residents works right in Williamsburg

About one in 5 of Williamsburg’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Newport News (9%), Norfolk (4%) and Virginia Beach (4%). Half commute less than 14 miles.

21%work in town

Where working residents work

In Williamsburg21%
Newport News9%
Norfolk4%
Virginia Beach4%
Hampton3%
14 mi
median commute distance
11,325
jobs based in Williamsburg
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health

Healthier than 77% of U.S. towns

Williamsburg beats the Virginia average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.

A−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Virginia
11 better17 too close to call4 worse
What stands outWilliamsburgVA
Fewer adults with diabetes8.9%12.5%
Fewer adults with arthritis19.6%26.2%
More adults without reliable transportation10.1%7.4%
Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center
2.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
64th
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards

Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 10% of U.S. communities.

10risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
10Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
13
paid flood claims since 1979
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate

Mild winters, hot summers

Williamsburg has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

4″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter31–52°
Spring47–69°
Summer67–87°
Fall51–71°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Mar 31
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools

Williamsburg’s public schools outperform 62% of Virginia districts

The public schools Williamsburg’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 62% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

BSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Matthew Whaley ElementaryK–5485B−
Berkeley Middle6–8666B
James Blair Middle6–8505C
Walsingham Academy PrivatePK–12498
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Housing

A typical Williamsburg home is worth about $468K

The typical Williamsburg home is worth about $468,000, up 1.9% in a year, 13% above the Virginia typical home.

$468KZillow home value

Typical home value

Williamsburg$468K
Virginia$415K
Market temperature
Seller’s marketA strong seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
23
days on market
101.4%
sale-to-list price
+1.9%
value change, 1 year
17
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 46% of U.S. towns

Williamsburg reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 54% report less.

B−Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Williamsburg1.7
Virginia2.1
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Williamsburg11.2
Virginia13.9
U.S.15.5
46th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
60th
percentile among VA towns
27
violent crimes reported in 2025
182
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
College town

41% of Williamsburg is in college

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

14 places in Williamsburg on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Famous people from Williamsburg

48 notable people were born in Williamsburg.

See all 48 →

About Williamsburg

City and former capital in Virginia, US

Official town website ↗

Williamsburg is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 15,425 at the 2020 census. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bordered by James City County on the west and south and York County on the east. In 1632, English settlers founded Middle Plantation as a fortified settlement on high ground between the James and York rivers and farther inland than their headquarters at Jamestown. The city of Williamsburg was established at the site of Middle Plantation in 1699. It functioned as the capital of the Colony and Commonwealth of Virginia from 1699 to 1780 and became the center of p…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1638
Population
15,425
Area
9.2 sq mi
Elevation
49 ft
ZIP code
23185, 23186, 23187
Area code
757

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Photo of Williamsburg

Williamsburg, VA · Photo: Ron Cogswell · CC BY 2.0 · Source ↗