Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Highest Salary Needed to Buy a Home in Virginia
What a household has to earn to buy the county's own median home under the standard 28% rule, meaning housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, counting the full monthly bill rather than just the mortgage. These are the counties where the entry ticket is steepest.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Virginia ranked
| # | County | Income needed | Monthly to own | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falls Church city | $323,000 | $7,535 | $1,005,400 |
| 2 | Arlington County | $276,500 | $6,447 | $864,800 |
| 3 | Fairfax County | $228,500 | $5,329 | $699,700 |
| 4 | Alexandria city | $227,000 | $5,294 | $696,800 |
| 5 | Loudoun County | $225,500 | $5,263 | $701,000 |
| 6 | Fairfax city | $220,000 | $5,129 | $677,400 |
| 7 | Fauquier County | $175,000 | $4,087 | $543,700 |
| 8 | Clarke County | $169,000 | $3,938 | $538,900 |
| 9 | Prince William County | $166,000 | $3,871 | $500,600 |
| 10 | Rappahannock County | $155,500 | $3,628 | $490,200 |
| 11 | Albemarle County | $152,500 | $3,562 | $471,000 |
| 12 | Goochland County | $152,500 | $3,555 | $483,700 |
| 13 | Stafford County | $148,500 | $3,468 | $458,800 |
| 14 | Fredericksburg city | $148,000 | $3,449 | $461,500 |
| 15 | Manassas city | $147,500 | $3,436 | $434,700 |
| 16 | Charlottesville city | $147,000 | $3,431 | $448,400 |
| 17 | James City County | $136,000 | $3,172 | $419,200 |
| 18 | Poquoson city | $134,500 | $3,139 | $403,000 |
| 19 | York County | $133,500 | $3,111 | $411,200 |
| 20 | Manassas Park city | $131,000 | $3,056 | $381,200 |
| 21 | King George County | $127,500 | $2,975 | $395,900 |
| 22 | Williamsburg city | $127,000 | $2,961 | $393,200 |
| 23 | Culpeper County | $124,500 | $2,905 | $386,400 |
| 24 | Powhatan County | $124,000 | $2,898 | $381,300 |
| 25 | Hanover County | $122,000 | $2,850 | $372,700 |
| 26 | New Kent County | $122,000 | $2,844 | $371,500 |
| 27 | Spotsylvania County | $122,000 | $2,844 | $375,000 |
| 28 | Virginia Beach city | $122,000 | $2,844 | $366,300 |
| 29 | Chesapeake city | $120,000 | $2,799 | $359,100 |
| 30 | Frederick County | $115,000 | $2,678 | $355,000 |
| 31 | Chesterfield County | $112,500 | $2,630 | $336,700 |
| 32 | Suffolk city | $112,500 | $2,620 | $329,600 |
| 33 | Mathews County | $112,000 | $2,611 | $348,800 |
| 34 | Henrico County | $111,000 | $2,591 | $333,600 |
| 35 | Isle of Wight County | $111,000 | $2,590 | $333,600 |
| 36 | Orange County | $111,000 | $2,584 | $337,300 |
| 37 | Richmond city | $111,000 | $2,591 | $328,100 |
| 38 | Winchester city | $109,500 | $2,549 | $325,900 |
| 39 | Madison County | $109,000 | $2,540 | $331,400 |
| 40 | Northumberland County | $108,000 | $2,520 | $333,100 |
| 41 | Greene County | $104,500 | $2,440 | $315,300 |
| 42 | Warren County | $104,000 | $2,430 | $315,800 |
| 43 | Lancaster County | $100,500 | $2,349 | $307,600 |
| 44 | Middlesex County | $99,000 | $2,314 | $299,800 |
| 45 | Gloucester County | $96,500 | $2,248 | $289,200 |
| 46 | Montgomery County | $96,500 | $2,250 | $283,600 |
| 47 | Rockingham County | $95,500 | $2,224 | $287,900 |
| 48 | Harrisonburg city | $95,000 | $2,216 | $278,200 |
| 49 | Lexington city | $95,000 | $2,214 | $275,300 |
| 50 | Norfolk city | $95,000 | $2,222 | $271,900 |
| 51 | Fluvanna County | $94,500 | $2,210 | $281,700 |
| 52 | Caroline County | $94,000 | $2,198 | $283,100 |
| 53 | Nelson County | $94,000 | $2,192 | $283,000 |
| 54 | Northampton County | $93,500 | $2,181 | $279,100 |
| 55 | Augusta County | $93,000 | $2,170 | $281,400 |
| 56 | King William County | $93,000 | $2,168 | $276,500 |
| 57 | Louisa County | $93,000 | $2,166 | $275,600 |
| 58 | Roanoke County | $92,500 | $2,159 | $267,300 |
| 59 | Prince George County | $92,000 | $2,146 | $268,300 |
| 60 | Bedford County | $91,500 | $2,130 | $276,600 |
| 61 | Botetourt County | $91,000 | $2,122 | $268,900 |
| 62 | Shenandoah County | $89,000 | $2,076 | $265,800 |
| 63 | Newport News city | $86,500 | $2,019 | $243,300 |
| 64 | Salem city | $86,000 | $2,006 | $244,800 |
| 65 | Dinwiddie County | $83,500 | $1,952 | $246,100 |
| 66 | Westmoreland County | $83,000 | $1,940 | $244,000 |
| 67 | Hampton city | $83,000 | $1,940 | $234,100 |
| 68 | Portsmouth city | $82,500 | $1,926 | $229,400 |
| 69 | Staunton city | $82,500 | $1,926 | $239,300 |
| 70 | Colonial Heights city | $82,000 | $1,913 | $231,700 |
| 71 | King and Queen County | $81,500 | $1,900 | $240,900 |
| 72 | Rockbridge County | $81,500 | $1,900 | $238,700 |
| 73 | Waynesboro city | $81,500 | $1,899 | $236,600 |
| 74 | Amelia County | $80,500 | $1,874 | $239,700 |
| 75 | Surry County | $80,500 | $1,881 | $235,200 |
| 76 | Franklin city | $79,000 | $1,847 | $227,200 |
| 77 | Essex County | $78,000 | $1,826 | $228,600 |
| 78 | Charles City County | $77,000 | $1,800 | $224,100 |
| 79 | Page County | $77,000 | $1,797 | $221,800 |
| 80 | Cumberland County | $76,000 | $1,778 | $220,100 |
| 81 | Franklin County | $76,000 | $1,778 | $222,800 |
| 82 | Lynchburg city | $75,500 | $1,756 | $211,800 |
| 83 | Floyd County | $74,000 | $1,726 | $215,500 |
| 84 | Richmond County | $74,000 | $1,723 | $214,200 |
| 85 | Radford city | $74,000 | $1,732 | $211,700 |
| 86 | Southampton County | $73,000 | $1,704 | $208,800 |
| 87 | Craig County | $72,000 | $1,680 | $210,500 |
| 88 | Bath County | $70,500 | $1,641 | $206,000 |
| 89 | Washington County | $70,000 | $1,631 | $201,800 |
| 90 | Prince Edward County | $69,500 | $1,625 | $203,700 |
| 91 | Amherst County | $68,500 | $1,598 | $197,200 |
| 92 | Campbell County | $68,500 | $1,604 | $199,200 |
| 93 | Highland County | $68,500 | $1,597 | $195,700 |
| 94 | Accomack County | $67,000 | $1,569 | $193,100 |
| 95 | Roanoke city | $67,000 | $1,560 | $180,500 |
| 96 | Appomattox County | $66,500 | $1,547 | $189,200 |
| 97 | Pulaski County | $65,000 | $1,518 | $182,500 |
| 98 | Nottoway County | $63,000 | $1,466 | $179,800 |
| 99 | Sussex County | $63,000 | $1,475 | $178,500 |
| 100 | Hopewell city | $62,000 | $1,442 | $165,100 |
| 101 | Bristol city | $61,500 | $1,440 | $168,700 |
| 102 | Wythe County | $61,000 | $1,424 | $172,100 |
| 103 | Buckingham County | $60,000 | $1,399 | $167,800 |
| 104 | Mecklenburg County | $60,000 | $1,405 | $169,400 |
| 105 | Petersburg city | $59,500 | $1,383 | $157,900 |
| 106 | Greensville County | $58,000 | $1,349 | $159,200 |
| 107 | Buena Vista city | $58,000 | $1,355 | $153,500 |
| 108 | Bland County | $57,000 | $1,330 | $157,100 |
| 109 | Pittsylvania County | $56,000 | $1,307 | $153,000 |
| 110 | Halifax County | $54,000 | $1,266 | $148,900 |
| 111 | Patrick County | $54,000 | $1,260 | $146,500 |
| 112 | Carroll County | $53,500 | $1,246 | $144,200 |
| 113 | Giles County | $53,500 | $1,246 | $143,500 |
| 114 | Charlotte County | $53,000 | $1,235 | $144,000 |
| 115 | Lunenburg County | $53,000 | $1,236 | $145,500 |
| 116 | Emporia city | $50,500 | $1,173 | $131,100 |
| 117 | Grayson County | $50,000 | $1,167 | $132,300 |
| 118 | Brunswick County | $49,500 | $1,161 | $132,700 |
| 119 | Galax city | $49,000 | $1,143 | $126,800 |
| 120 | Alleghany County | $48,000 | $1,118 | $122,300 |
| 121 | Smyth County | $48,000 | $1,120 | $125,800 |
| 122 | Scott County | $47,500 | $1,103 | $122,300 |
| 123 | Henry County | $46,000 | $1,071 | $120,300 |
| 124 | Russell County | $46,000 | $1,070 | $119,600 |
| 125 | Tazewell County | $45,000 | $1,054 | $116,100 |
| 126 | Wise County | $45,000 | $1,052 | $116,500 |
| 127 | Danville city | $43,500 | $1,018 | $110,200 |
| 128 | Norton city | $41,000 | $961 | $100,700 |
| 129 | Dickenson County | $40,500 | $940 | $101,100 |
| 130 | Lee County | $40,000 | $931 | $98,700 |
| 131 | Martinsville city | $39,000 | $905 | $92,500 |
| 132 | Buchanan County | $37,500 | $869 | $91,400 |
| 133 | Covington city | $35,000 | $816 | $80,200 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Highest Salary Needed to Buy a Home across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Virginia