Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Owning Costs Less Than Renting in Virginia
Counties where the full monthly cost of owning the median home comes in below median rent, even after tax, insurance, utilities and maintenance. These are the places where buying is cheapest relative to the local rental market.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Virginia ranked
| # | County | Monthly saved by owning | Median rent | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Covington city | $6 | $822 | $816 |
| 2 | Emporia city | $-113 | $1,060 | $1,173 |
| 3 | Martinsville city | $-121 | $784 | $905 |
| 4 | Buchanan County | $-157 | $712 | $869 |
| 5 | Lee County | $-206 | $725 | $931 |
| 6 | Dickenson County | $-207 | $733 | $940 |
| 7 | Danville city | $-210 | $808 | $1,018 |
| 8 | Petersburg city | $-251 | $1,132 | $1,383 |
| 9 | Wise County | $-282 | $770 | $1,052 |
| 10 | Buena Vista city | $-288 | $1,067 | $1,355 |
| 11 | Norton city | $-291 | $670 | $961 |
| 12 | Brunswick County | $-297 | $864 | $1,161 |
| 13 | Tazewell County | $-316 | $738 | $1,054 |
| 14 | Alleghany County | $-344 | $774 | $1,118 |
| 15 | Hopewell city | $-357 | $1,085 | $1,442 |
| 16 | Henry County | $-366 | $705 | $1,071 |
| 17 | Russell County | $-388 | $682 | $1,070 |
| 18 | Greensville County | $-389 | $960 | $1,349 |
| 19 | Smyth County | $-428 | $692 | $1,120 |
| 20 | Scott County | $-438 | $665 | $1,103 |
| 21 | Pittsylvania County | $-451 | $856 | $1,307 |
| 22 | Galax city | $-451 | $692 | $1,143 |
| 23 | Grayson County | $-455 | $712 | $1,167 |
| 24 | Lunenburg County | $-456 | $780 | $1,236 |
| 25 | Nottoway County | $-457 | $1,009 | $1,466 |
| 26 | Giles County | $-466 | $780 | $1,246 |
| 27 | Halifax County | $-497 | $769 | $1,266 |
| 28 | Sussex County | $-523 | $952 | $1,475 |
| 29 | Buckingham County | $-525 | $874 | $1,399 |
| 30 | Patrick County | $-539 | $721 | $1,260 |
| 31 | Charlotte County | $-553 | $682 | $1,235 |
| 32 | Carroll County | $-559 | $687 | $1,246 |
| 33 | Prince George County | $-583 | $1,563 | $2,146 |
| 34 | Hampton city | $-594 | $1,346 | $1,940 |
| 35 | Accomack County | $-596 | $973 | $1,569 |
| 36 | Roanoke city | $-596 | $964 | $1,560 |
| 37 | Mecklenburg County | $-601 | $804 | $1,405 |
| 38 | Bland County | $-647 | $683 | $1,330 |
| 39 | Portsmouth city | $-660 | $1,266 | $1,926 |
| 40 | Appomattox County | $-664 | $883 | $1,547 |
| 41 | Bristol city | $-665 | $775 | $1,440 |
| 42 | Pulaski County | $-703 | $815 | $1,518 |
| 43 | Wythe County | $-706 | $718 | $1,424 |
| 44 | Dinwiddie County | $-710 | $1,242 | $1,952 |
| 45 | Richmond County | $-712 | $1,011 | $1,723 |
| 46 | Lynchburg city | $-713 | $1,043 | $1,756 |
| 47 | Charles City County | $-724 | $1,076 | $1,800 |
| 48 | Prince Edward County | $-727 | $898 | $1,625 |
| 49 | Newport News city | $-734 | $1,285 | $2,019 |
| 50 | Highland County | $-738 | $859 | $1,597 |
| 51 | Campbell County | $-751 | $853 | $1,604 |
| 52 | Colonial Heights city | $-751 | $1,162 | $1,913 |
| 53 | Amherst County | $-756 | $842 | $1,598 |
| 54 | Radford city | $-766 | $966 | $1,732 |
| 55 | Southampton County | $-774 | $930 | $1,704 |
| 56 | Washington County | $-799 | $832 | $1,631 |
| 57 | Bath County | $-816 | $825 | $1,641 |
| 58 | Franklin city | $-852 | $995 | $1,847 |
| 59 | Essex County | $-859 | $967 | $1,826 |
| 60 | Manassas Park city | $-881 | $2,175 | $3,056 |
| 61 | Floyd County | $-900 | $826 | $1,726 |
| 62 | Amelia County | $-902 | $972 | $1,874 |
| 63 | King and Queen County | $-918 | $982 | $1,900 |
| 64 | King William County | $-922 | $1,246 | $2,168 |
| 65 | Waynesboro city | $-927 | $972 | $1,899 |
| 66 | Cumberland County | $-931 | $847 | $1,778 |
| 67 | Staunton city | $-933 | $993 | $1,926 |
| 68 | Greene County | $-938 | $1,502 | $2,440 |
| 69 | Rockbridge County | $-944 | $956 | $1,900 |
| 70 | Page County | $-946 | $851 | $1,797 |
| 71 | Westmoreland County | $-949 | $991 | $1,940 |
| 72 | Craig County | $-952 | $728 | $1,680 |
| 73 | Louisa County | $-958 | $1,208 | $2,166 |
| 74 | Salem city | $-960 | $1,046 | $2,006 |
| 75 | Norfolk city | $-976 | $1,246 | $2,222 |
| 76 | Franklin County | $-981 | $797 | $1,778 |
| 77 | Caroline County | $-997 | $1,201 | $2,198 |
| 78 | Roanoke County | $-1,011 | $1,148 | $2,159 |
| 79 | Surry County | $-1,023 | $858 | $1,881 |
| 80 | Fluvanna County | $-1,037 | $1,173 | $2,210 |
| 81 | Montgomery County | $-1,044 | $1,206 | $2,250 |
| 82 | Chesterfield County | $-1,088 | $1,542 | $2,630 |
| 83 | Harrisonburg city | $-1,096 | $1,120 | $2,216 |
| 84 | Rockingham County | $-1,099 | $1,125 | $2,224 |
| 85 | Gloucester County | $-1,104 | $1,144 | $2,248 |
| 86 | Shenandoah County | $-1,108 | $968 | $2,076 |
| 87 | Spotsylvania County | $-1,111 | $1,733 | $2,844 |
| 88 | Augusta County | $-1,113 | $1,057 | $2,170 |
| 89 | Henrico County | $-1,117 | $1,474 | $2,591 |
| 90 | Suffolk city | $-1,136 | $1,484 | $2,620 |
| 91 | Botetourt County | $-1,171 | $951 | $2,122 |
| 92 | Bedford County | $-1,175 | $955 | $2,130 |
| 93 | New Kent County | $-1,191 | $1,653 | $2,844 |
| 94 | Virginia Beach city | $-1,195 | $1,649 | $2,844 |
| 95 | Lexington city | $-1,229 | $985 | $2,214 |
| 96 | Warren County | $-1,231 | $1,199 | $2,430 |
| 97 | Nelson County | $-1,242 | $950 | $2,192 |
| 98 | Middlesex County | $-1,243 | $1,071 | $2,314 |
| 99 | Winchester city | $-1,251 | $1,298 | $2,549 |
| 100 | Chesapeake city | $-1,276 | $1,523 | $2,799 |
| 101 | Frederick County | $-1,276 | $1,402 | $2,678 |
| 102 | Isle of Wight County | $-1,277 | $1,313 | $2,590 |
| 103 | Richmond city | $-1,277 | $1,314 | $2,591 |
| 104 | York County | $-1,334 | $1,777 | $3,111 |
| 105 | Hanover County | $-1,354 | $1,496 | $2,850 |
| 106 | Lancaster County | $-1,371 | $978 | $2,349 |
| 107 | Northampton County | $-1,401 | $780 | $2,181 |
| 108 | Orange County | $-1,439 | $1,145 | $2,584 |
| 109 | Northumberland County | $-1,467 | $1,053 | $2,520 |
| 110 | Culpeper County | $-1,488 | $1,417 | $2,905 |
| 111 | Madison County | $-1,492 | $1,048 | $2,540 |
| 112 | Mathews County | $-1,503 | $1,108 | $2,611 |
| 113 | Poquoson city | $-1,505 | $1,634 | $3,139 |
| 114 | Stafford County | $-1,543 | $1,925 | $3,468 |
| 115 | King George County | $-1,549 | $1,426 | $2,975 |
| 116 | Williamsburg city | $-1,600 | $1,361 | $2,961 |
| 117 | Manassas city | $-1,601 | $1,835 | $3,436 |
| 118 | James City County | $-1,681 | $1,491 | $3,172 |
| 119 | Powhatan County | $-1,791 | $1,107 | $2,898 |
| 120 | Prince William County | $-1,869 | $2,002 | $3,871 |
| 121 | Fredericksburg city | $-1,928 | $1,521 | $3,449 |
| 122 | Albemarle County | $-1,939 | $1,623 | $3,562 |
| 123 | Charlottesville city | $-1,978 | $1,453 | $3,431 |
| 124 | Goochland County | $-1,988 | $1,567 | $3,555 |
| 125 | Rappahannock County | $-2,244 | $1,384 | $3,628 |
| 126 | Fauquier County | $-2,526 | $1,561 | $4,087 |
| 127 | Clarke County | $-2,578 | $1,360 | $3,938 |
| 128 | Loudoun County | $-2,946 | $2,317 | $5,263 |
| 129 | Fairfax city | $-3,007 | $2,122 | $5,129 |
| 130 | Fairfax County | $-3,099 | $2,230 | $5,329 |
| 131 | Alexandria city | $-3,263 | $2,031 | $5,294 |
| 132 | Arlington County | $-4,172 | $2,275 | $6,447 |
| 133 | Falls Church city | $-5,330 | $2,205 | $7,535 |
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
Counties Where Owning Costs Less Than Renting across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Virginia