Cost to Own
United StatesVirginiaWaynesboro city FIPS 51820 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-09-10
The part nobody budgets Even with the mortgage fully paid off, the median home in Waynesboro city still costs $633 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Waynesboro city, Virginia

A $237,000 home here costs

$1,864

per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 6.76% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $80,000 a year.

P&I 66%Tax 7%Insurance 3%Utilities 13%Upkeep 11%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,231. The real number is $633 higher every month, 51% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $236,600
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
VA average household

Compare with Augusta County · any county

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $189,600 borrowed $1,231
Property tax0.667% effective rate, Waynesboro city assessor via Census ACS $132
Homeowners insuranceVirginia averages $1,199/yr (NAIC), or 0.295% of home value $58
Electricity17.22¢/kWh, Virginia residential average, EIA $178
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $198
Total monthly $1,864

How Waynesboro city compares

Waynesboro city ranks 2,092nd of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 1,041 counties and higher than in 2,091. Within Virginia it ranks 54th of 133.

Waynesboro city 0.667% 20% lower than national
Virginia average 0.671%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

Paying the full bill when you don't have to?

Virginia runs property tax relief: homestead, senior, veteran and disability programs, and nearly all of it requires a filing homeowners never make. See what you can claim in Virginia. Buying instead? The state's down payment help is the program lenders forget to mention.

The numbers behind this page

MeasureWaynesboro citySource
Median home value$236,600ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$1,578ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate0.667%Derived
Median gross rent$972ACS B25064
Occupied housing units9,620ACS B25003
Population22,574ACS B01003
Residential electricity price17.22¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Waynesboro city's overall natural hazard risk Very Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $6.2 million a year, county-wide, across every building in it, not per household.

One thing to be clear about: the insurance figure above does not know about any of this. It applies your state's average premium rate to the county's median home value, because published premium data does not exist at county level. Two counties in the same state get the same rate here even when FEMA rates one of them Very High and the other Very Low. So in a high-risk county treat the insurance line as a floor, not an estimate, and get a real quote before you budget.

Hurricane FEMA National Risk Index percentile 61.4 Relatively Low
Earthquake FEMA National Risk Index percentile 48.3 Very Low
River flooding FEMA National Risk Index percentile 31.1 Very Low

Ratings are FEMA's own, relative to all US counties. A high drought or heat rating also shows up in the climate figures for Waynesboro city.

Talk to someone who works this market

Every figure on this page is a county average. What your specific house costs, or what it would sell for, comes down to the street, the age of the roof and the condition of the systems. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Waynesboro city every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

I'm looking to buy in Waynesboro city I already own here and may sell

The weather behind that power bill

Waynesboro city runs an average high of 85.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 23.4°F in its coldest, with 45.33" of precipitation a year and 28% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $178 electricity line above: 904 cooling degree days and 4,851 heating degree days a year.

See the full Waynesboro city climate breakdown , month by month temperatures, when the rainy season lands, snowfall, and what the heating and cooling actually cost.

Cities and towns in Waynesboro city

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 0.667%.

Neighbouring counties

Counties sharing a border with Waynesboro city. Crossing a state line can change the tax rate dramatically for an otherwise identical house.

All 133 counties in Virginia

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Waynesboro city?

The effective property tax rate in Waynesboro city, Virginia is 0.667% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $236,600, that works out to about $1,578 annually, or $132 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Waynesboro city?

A $237,000 home in Waynesboro city, Virginia costs approximately $1,864 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $1,231 principal and interest, $132 property tax, $58 insurance, $246 utilities and $198 set aside for maintenance.

Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?

Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $443 a month, which is why the real cost is 51% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Waynesboro city?

Median gross rent in Waynesboro city, Virginia is $972 per month, compared with $1,864 a month to own the median home all in. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.

How much is the electric bill in Waynesboro city?

Virginia residential electricity averages 17.22¢ per kWh. At the VA average household usage of 1032 kWh per month, that is about $178. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

What salary do you need to buy a home in Waynesboro city?

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Waynesboro city, Virginia at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $80,000 a year. That covers the full $1,864 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Augusta County, the same $237,000 home pays about $419 a year less in property tax than it does here. See what else changes across the line

Sources & methodology

  • Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
  • Effective property tax rate, median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
  • Mortgage rate, Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
  • Residential electricity price, US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
  • Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for Virginia ($1,199/yr), expressed as 0.295% of median home value and applied to the price above. A quote for your specific house will differ with roof age, claims history and coverage.
  • Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every assumption is editable above.

Full methodology