Prices, pay, taxes, homes and family budgets, county by county, from the same official data the site's calculators use.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures price levels in every state against a national average of 100. Virginia scores 101.1 overall, so a $75,000 salary at average US prices buys what $75,828 buys here. Compare any salary with another state.
| Price level | Virginia (US = 100) | Rank, most expensive first |
|---|---|---|
| Everything | 101.1 | 16th of 51 |
| Rents | 106.8 | 17th of 51 |
| Goods | 100.4 | — |
| Other services | 100.2 | — |
Home electricity averaged 14.41 cents a kilowatt-hour in 2024, against 17.06 across all states. A gallon of regular gas cost $3.87 at the end of August 2026, against $4.12.
Across all 4,109,320 jobs the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts in Virginia, the median pay is $55,690 a year, or $26.78 an hour; that ranks 17th of the 50 states and DC. One worker in ten earns less than $30,530 and one in ten more than $139,010.
Virginia taxes wages in brackets, with a top rate of 5.75%. The brackets in Virginia. A single filer on the median $55,690, with no retirement or health deductions, takes home about $43,982 a year, or $1,692 every two weeks, after $4,503 of federal income tax, $4,260 of Social Security and Medicare and $2,945 of state income tax. Work out your own paycheck in Virginia.
The five occupations employing the most people, with their median annual pay:
| Occupation | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 104,460 | $30,110 |
| General and Operations Managers | 103,590 | $122,080 |
| Retail Salespersons | 100,290 | $34,240 |
| Software Developers | 88,280 | $136,460 |
| Cashiers | 83,890 | $30,580 |
Of the 20 largest occupations, the best paid are software developers ($136,460), general and operations managers ($122,080), project management specialists ($120,840). See what common jobs pay in every state.
Across the 133 Virginia counties with their own Zillow home value, the median typical home is worth $312,612, and across the 75 with their own rent figure the median typical rent is $1,833 a month. A typical home costs 3.57 years of the county's median family income, at the median county.
With 10% down at 7.03%, the average 30-year rate on September 24, 2026, that home costs about $2,482 a month with tax, insurance and mortgage insurance, which takes $106,353 a year of income under the usual 28% guideline. The median family can afford its own county's typical home in 23.3% of Virginia's counties, against 44.9% of counties nationally. Try it with your own income.
At the median county, home values changed +2.9% over the past year and +26.4% over five years, and rents +4.2% over the past year.
The most expensive Virginia counties are Falls Church city ($1,173,901), Arlington County ($816,055) and Loudoun County ($799,573); the least expensive are Buchanan County ($77,770), Martinsville city ($110,839) and Covington city ($113,508).
The Economic Policy Institute prices what a modest but adequate standard of living costs in every county: housing, food, transport, healthcare, childcare, other necessities and taxes. In the median Virginia county, that comes to $48,616 a year for one adult and $99,962 for two adults and two children, of which $17,284 is childcare. The national averages are $47,367 and $101,771. Median family income in the median county is $84,167.
| Two adults, two children | Per year, median county | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $14,082 | $1,174 |
| Food | $12,050 | $1,004 |
| Transportation | $18,914 | $1,576 |
| Healthcare | $14,516 | $1,210 |
| Childcare | $17,284 | $1,440 |
| Other necessities | $8,163 | $680 |
| Taxes | $14,598 | $1,217 |
Each line is its own median across counties, so the lines do not add up exactly to the total.
The Department of Education's College Scorecard lists 156 colleges in Virginia, 43 of them public. The median public college reports a cost of attendance of $15,605 a year, covering tuition, housing, books and other expenses. Ten years after enrolling, the median school's former students earn $42,837. Compare degrees and schools.
| Accomack County | $246,385 | +1.2% | — | $72,766 | $85,757 |
| Albemarle County | $561,513 | +1.7% | $2,026 | $132,018 | $131,299 |
| Alexandria city | $682,629 | +1.5% | $2,278 | $153,506 | $175,142 |
| Alleghany County | $188,769 | +2.9% | — | $72,101 | $85,785 |
| Amelia County | $334,906 | +6.1% | — | $79,526 | $99,478 |
| Amherst County | $266,770 | +1.6% | $1,158 | $89,565 | $94,364 |
| Appomattox County | $294,905 | +8.8% | — | $79,838 | $93,661 |
| Arlington County | $816,055 | +0.1% | $2,729 | $194,878 | $191,525 |
| Augusta County | $372,170 | +5.8% | $1,721 | $93,909 | $107,877 |
| Bath County | $229,842 | +5.9% | — | $85,536 | $93,768 |
| Bedford County | $355,720 | +4.8% | $1,433 | $92,268 | $97,726 |
| Bland County | $192,578 | +12.3% | — | $67,375 | $88,821 |
| Botetourt County | $319,401 | +5.1% | $1,730 | $94,948 | $102,218 |
| Bristol city | $180,132 | −2.6% | $1,311 | $69,141 | $83,969 |
| Brunswick County | $152,142 | +7.4% | — | $61,782 | $83,647 |
| Buchanan County | $77,770 | −8.0% | — | $49,167 | $86,186 |
| Buckingham County | $251,549 | +3.5% | — | $78,130 | $86,145 |
| Buena Vista city | $189,828 | +5.1% | — | $59,388 | $93,866 |
| Campbell County | $276,073 | +2.1% | $1,685 | $78,469 | $91,978 |
| Caroline County | $364,227 | +4.3% | $2,053 | $100,162 | $102,042 |
| Carroll County | $189,843 | +8.1% | — | $67,491 | $85,623 |
| Charles City County | $281,812 | +1.6% | — | $90,129 | $105,549 |
| Charlotte County | $203,203 | +10.2% | — | $70,992 | $84,350 |
| Charlottesville city | $495,262 | +0.1% | $1,976 | $114,786 | $126,594 |
| Chesapeake city | $429,571 | +3.5% | $2,066 | $113,205 | $117,464 |
| Chesterfield County | $416,117 | +2.5% | $1,890 | $118,200 | $127,867 |
| Clarke County | $574,223 | +3.4% | — | $135,417 | $115,922 |
| Colonial Heights city | $284,362 | +0.3% | $1,548 | $92,308 | $113,380 |
| Covington city | $113,508 | +10.6% | — | $57,125 | $85,394 |
| Craig County | $241,988 | +7.1% | — | $83,958 | $91,820 |
| Culpeper County | $496,737 | +2.9% | $1,833 | $106,515 | $112,570 |
| Cumberland County | $292,105 | +8.4% | — | $64,831 | $86,056 |
| Danville city | $135,583 | +0.2% | $1,192 | $59,705 | $75,884 |
| Dickenson County | $118,439 | +13.1% | — | $53,162 | $85,735 |
| Dinwiddie County | $303,252 | +6.0% | — | $97,563 | $109,156 |
| Emporia city | $157,745 | +5.1% | — | $59,935 | $86,151 |
| Essex County | $300,728 | +2.0% | — | $73,065 | $94,372 |
| Fairfax city | $785,295 | +2.4% | $2,624 | $167,182 | $156,087 |
| Fairfax County | $768,424 | +0.1% | $2,564 | $178,683 | $159,130 |
| Falls Church city | $1,173,901 | +4.1% | $2,589 | $211,445 | $168,596 |
| Fauquier County | $656,541 | +2.9% | $2,403 | $148,586 | $121,094 |
| Floyd County | $282,424 | +12.6% | — | $81,781 | $91,557 |
| Fluvanna County | $378,704 | +1.3% | $1,907 | $101,856 | $110,810 |
| Franklin city | $237,954 | +2.9% | — | $82,159 | $101,456 |
| Franklin County | $369,641 | +3.8% | $1,189 | $84,085 | $94,743 |
| Frederick County | $432,111 | +1.2% | $2,137 | $111,801 | $116,710 |
| Fredericksburg city | $474,797 | +1.4% | $1,953 | $130,516 | $122,674 |
| Galax city | $180,798 | +8.1% | — | $67,361 | $81,675 |
| Giles County | $211,099 | +7.9% | — | $80,086 | $92,523 |
| Gloucester County | $380,109 | +4.1% | $1,865 | $97,636 | $109,860 |
| Goochland County | $588,477 | +3.5% | $1,964 | $138,526 | $127,209 |
| Grayson County | $209,319 | +6.2% | — | $58,638 | $86,064 |
| Greene County | $385,566 | +1.9% | $1,951 | $92,248 | $118,074 |
| Greensville County | $169,724 | +3.6% | — | $71,509 | $89,940 |
| Halifax County | $154,518 | +11.1% | — | $65,204 | $83,620 |
| Hampton city | $282,712 | +1.2% | $1,681 | $83,915 | $104,949 |
| Hanover County | $462,649 | +3.7% | $2,079 | $130,347 | $124,552 |
| Harrisonburg city | $332,156 | +4.2% | $1,632 | $80,804 | $99,238 |
| Henrico County | $403,549 | +1.6% | $1,830 | $110,829 | $118,280 |
| Henry County | $142,970 | −4.6% | $904 | $66,391 | $81,478 |
| Highland County | $289,002 | +3.1% | — | $77,009 | $98,712 |
| Hopewell city | $219,040 | +2.1% | $1,260 | $56,184 | $99,962 |
| Isle of Wight County | $387,233 | +2.9% | $2,162 | $115,292 | $111,588 |
| James City County | $488,255 | +1.1% | $2,173 | $127,805 | $118,821 |
| King and Queen County | $305,356 | +6.8% | — | $87,278 | $106,421 |
| King George County | $482,512 | +2.7% | $1,875 | $124,229 | $107,752 |
| King William County | $356,196 | +3.5% | — | $99,444 | $110,532 |
| Lancaster County | $399,595 | +5.2% | $1,695 | $84,207 | $96,081 |
| Lee County | $114,320 | +9.4% | — | $60,200 | $83,660 |
| Lexington city | $357,617 | +2.5% | — | $102,042 | $91,954 |
| Loudoun County | $799,573 | +0.9% | $2,968 | $200,316 | $165,343 |
| Louisa County | $424,780 | +2.8% | $2,279 | $98,639 | $102,422 |
| Lunenburg County | $147,101 | +1.1% | — | $70,348 | $84,486 |
| Lynchburg city | $247,599 | +0.1% | $1,330 | $74,281 | $94,493 |
| Madison County | $430,067 | +3.3% | — | $104,444 | $106,415 |
| Manassas city | $493,272 | −0.9% | $2,200 | $123,914 | $132,078 |
| Manassas Park city | $463,402 | +1.2% | $2,090 | $103,326 | $166,670 |
| Martinsville city | $110,839 | −3.5% | $872 | $56,941 | $80,578 |
| Mathews County | $356,782 | +1.4% | — | $90,667 | $101,924 |
| Mecklenburg County | $211,276 | +2.1% | — | $73,620 | $85,053 |
| Middlesex County | $387,283 | +2.1% | — | $92,500 | $99,632 |
| Montgomery County | $346,984 | +3.0% | $1,669 | $104,860 | $107,060 |
| Nelson County | $365,800 | +3.1% | — | $87,393 | $106,243 |
| New Kent County | $448,490 | +3.7% | $2,600 | $127,429 | $122,671 |
| Newport News city | $295,885 | +2.5% | $1,590 | $81,141 | $103,083 |
| Norfolk city | $315,671 | +1.1% | $1,736 | $81,328 | $104,504 |
| Northampton County | $314,993 | +6.2% | — | $79,073 | $87,581 |
| Northumberland County | $374,425 | +2.0% | — | $83,778 | $101,483 |
| Norton city | $125,335 | −4.9% | — | $56,389 | $79,489 |
| Nottoway County | $201,009 | +12.0% | — | $84,167 | $83,583 |
| Orange County | $387,299 | +2.2% | $2,054 | $109,756 | $104,514 |
| Page County | $312,713 | +3.6% | — | $72,553 | $93,865 |
| Patrick County | $188,431 | +2.7% | — | $72,813 | $82,964 |
| Petersburg city | $203,315 | +0.3% | $1,339 | $64,110 | $94,495 |
| Pittsylvania County | $195,604 | +2.3% | — | $69,093 | $83,730 |
| Poquoson city | $471,169 | +1.3% | — | $127,663 | $125,789 |
| Portsmouth city | $269,515 | +1.3% | $1,599 | $68,959 | $103,478 |
| Powhatan County | $503,163 | +3.1% | $1,953 | $124,149 | $107,207 |
| Prince Edward County | $246,933 | +7.8% | $1,253 | $76,335 | $88,420 |
| Prince George County | $361,714 | +4.0% | $1,586 | $96,176 | $116,992 |
| Prince William County | $586,907 | +1.0% | $2,288 | $141,710 | $143,017 |
| Pulaski County | $226,056 | +5.1% | $1,350 | $79,338 | $91,825 |
| Radford city | $261,016 | +3.0% | $1,494 | $83,998 | $89,748 |
| Rappahannock County | $580,004 | +4.3% | — | $100,202 | $121,283 |
| Richmond city | $373,235 | +1.3% | $1,654 | $84,119 | $112,304 |
| Richmond County | $250,076 | +5.0% | — | $84,722 | $98,192 |
| Roanoke city | $225,072 | +0.6% | $1,321 | $68,319 | $93,752 |
| Roanoke County | $342,773 | +4.0% | $1,588 | $102,484 | $106,997 |
| Rockbridge County | $342,756 | +5.0% | $1,656 | $79,266 | $97,180 |
| Rockingham County | $364,289 | +2.5% | $1,933 | $95,354 | $104,380 |
| Russell County | $142,829 | +4.3% | — | $66,688 | $84,083 |
| Salem city | $293,553 | +4.3% | $1,559 | $87,508 | $100,420 |
| Scott County | $173,094 | +5.7% | — | $64,908 | $84,289 |
| Shenandoah County | $345,496 | +2.1% | $1,620 | $80,946 | $91,839 |
| Smyth County | $163,396 | +3.8% | — | $64,737 | $84,193 |
| Southampton County | $275,119 | +2.0% | — | $89,817 | $99,089 |
| Spotsylvania County | $461,009 | +0.9% | $2,095 | $121,211 | $127,649 |
| Stafford County | $544,161 | +0.5% | $2,432 | $148,238 | $134,978 |
| Staunton city | $292,144 | +3.8% | $1,537 | $85,720 | $102,707 |
| Suffolk city | $392,055 | +2.4% | $2,008 | $108,493 | $115,475 |
| Surry County | $286,782 | +2.1% | — | $92,794 | $96,500 |
| Sussex County | $184,629 | +5.2% | — | $82,692 | $101,155 |
| Tazewell County | $144,119 | +1.4% | — | $63,826 | $82,798 |
| Virginia Beach city | $430,158 | +3.2% | $2,076 | $108,168 | $120,929 |
| Warren County | $401,011 | +2.9% | $1,868 | $96,160 | $103,652 |
| Washington County | $260,753 | +2.1% | $1,278 | $81,978 | $93,816 |
| Waynesboro city | $296,974 | +2.2% | $1,407 | $70,848 | $99,594 |
| Westmoreland County | $312,612 | −0.5% | $1,814 | $83,606 | $96,767 |
| Williamsburg city | $417,957 | +2.8% | $2,049 | $99,130 | $116,082 |
| Winchester city | $359,117 | +3.0% | $1,719 | $81,870 | $105,919 |
| Wise County | $133,876 | +2.5% | — | $61,220 | $84,713 |
| Wythe County | $215,438 | +4.4% | — | $77,571 | $85,361 |
| York County | $470,238 | +2.4% | $2,056 | $128,487 | $124,864 |
A dash means the source publishes no figure for that county. Home values and rents are Zillow's own county figures only; counties Zillow does not cover are left blank rather than filled with a state average.
Washington, DC (typical rent $2,456), Virginia Beach, VA (typical rent $1,877), Richmond, VA (typical rent $1,751).
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County figures are medians across Virginia's counties, each counting once, so they describe the spread of places rather than of people. Property tax and insurance vary widely; the calculators let you use your own.