Cheapest places to live in Virginia

Every Virginia city and town with 20,000 or more people, ranked by median home value, with rent, commute and growth beside it. All Census data.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

DanvilleLowest home values$119,100 median
DanvilleLowest rent$836 a month
28Places ranked20,000+ residents

The 3 cheapest in Virginia

#1
Danville
Home value
$119,100
Rent
$836
Growth
-2.2%
#2
Hopewell
Home value
$181,600
Rent
$1,106
Growth
+1.0%
#3
Petersburg
Home value
$189,000
Rent
$1,174
Growth
+0.8%

The 15 cheapest places to live in Virginia

#	Place	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Growth since 2020
1	Danville	$119,100	$836	20.3 min	-2.2%
2	Hopewell	$181,600	$1,106	26.0 min	+1.0%
3	Petersburg	$189,000	$1,174	25.7 min	+0.8%
4	Roanoke	$190,500	$996	19.0 min	-0.9%
5	Lynchburg	$229,800	$1,073	16.8 min	+3.0%
6	Waynesboro	$245,500	$1,020	21.4 min	+7.9%
7	Hampton	$245,700	$1,427	22.5 min	+0.1%
8	Portsmouth	$246,900	$1,300	23.7 min	-1.2%
9	Christiansburg	$252,600	$1,181	18.1 min	-3.9%
10	Salem	$258,600	$1,133	19.0 min	+1.9%
11	Staunton	$259,200	$1,024	20.5 min	+4.1%
12	Newport News	$260,600	$1,339	23.1 min	-1.6%
13	Norfolk	$289,900	$1,321	23.0 min	-3.0%
14	Harrisonburg	$299,100	$1,184	17.1 min	-1.9%
15	Winchester	$343,000	$1,315	19.6 min	+0.6%

Cheap often comes with a trade-off. Check the growth column: a shrinking population can mean fewer jobs nearby.

All 28, cheapest first

See all 28, cheapest first

#	Place	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Population 2025
1	Danville	$119,100	$836	20.3 min	41,647
2	Hopewell	$181,600	$1,106	26.0 min	23,261
3	Petersburg	$189,000	$1,174	25.7 min	33,734
4	Roanoke	$190,500	$996	19.0 min	99,111
5	Lynchburg	$229,800	$1,073	16.8 min	81,347
6	Waynesboro	$245,500	$1,020	21.4 min	23,951
7	Hampton	$245,700	$1,427	22.5 min	137,315
8	Portsmouth	$246,900	$1,300	23.7 min	96,777
9	Christiansburg	$252,600	$1,181	18.1 min	22,442
10	Salem	$258,600	$1,133	19.0 min	25,816
11	Staunton	$259,200	$1,024	20.5 min	26,801
12	Newport News	$260,600	$1,339	23.1 min	183,230
13	Norfolk	$289,900	$1,321	23.0 min	231,013
14	Harrisonburg	$299,100	$1,184	17.1 min	50,839
15	Winchester	$343,000	$1,315	19.6 min	28,272
16	Suffolk	$347,400	$1,563	30.2 min	104,699
17	Richmond	$353,000	$1,372	21.7 min	237,257
18	Chesapeake	$378,400	$1,586	25.8 min	255,332
19	Virginia Beach	$382,500	$1,714	23.4 min	453,737
20	Culpeper	$390,000	$1,416	31.9 min	22,074
21	Blacksburg	$446,300	$1,359	14.8 min	45,104
22	Manassas	$449,900	$1,850	32.1 min	44,332
23	Fredericksburg	$483,700	$1,619	31.9 min	30,393
24	Charlottesville	$486,700	$1,540	17.0 min	44,388
25	Herndon	$599,100	$2,259	27.5 min	25,506
26	Leesburg	$667,800	$2,105	25.3 min	49,917
27	Fairfax	$722,600	$2,245	28.0 min	26,772
28	Alexandria	$735,100	$2,089	28.4 min	160,662

Home values are owner estimates averaged over 2020 to 2024 (American Community Survey 5-year), so they run below today's listing prices. Use them to compare places, not to price a home.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest place to live in Virginia?

Of the 28 Virginia cities and towns with 20,000 or more people, Danville has the lowest median home value at $119,100, followed by Hopewell ($181,600) and Petersburg ($189,000) (American Community Survey 2020-2024).

Where is rent cheapest in Virginia?

Danville, with a median gross rent of $836 a month including utilities.

What is the most expensive place to live in Virginia?

Of the places we rank, Alexandria, with a median home value of $735,100.

What taxes do you pay in Virginia?

Income tax: 5.75% (top rate, 2026). Property tax: 0.71% of home value, statewide effective rate (Census ACS 2025). Sales tax: 5.77% combined state and average local (Tax Foundation 2026).

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