Ranked for Affordable Living
Best Places to Live in Virginia for Affordable Living
Low cost of living, rent, home prices, and total tax burden Ranked by how well each place fits the Affordable Living profile across cost, schools, climate, and safety — see how we score.
Top 25 places
- #1DanvillePopulation 42,507 · solid overall livability63% match
- #2SalemPopulation 25,372 · solid overall livability43% match
- #3PetersburgPopulation 33,261 · mixed overall livability34% match
- #4RoanokePopulation 99,213 · solid overall livability31% match
- #5Virginia BeachPopulation 457,900 · solid overall livability23% match
- #6MechanicsvillePopulation 38,328 · mixed overall livability23% match
- #7Cave SpringPopulation 26,013 · solid overall livability23% match
- #8ChesapeakePopulation 249,377 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #9NorfolkPopulation 236,973 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #10ArlingtonPopulation 235,845 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #11RichmondPopulation 227,171 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #12Newport NewsPopulation 185,118 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #13AlexandriaPopulation 157,594 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #14HamptonPopulation 137,217 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #15PortsmouthPopulation 97,384 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #16SuffolkPopulation 94,856 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #17LynchburgPopulation 79,166 · solid overall livability11% match
- #18CentrevillePopulation 72,680 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #19RestonPopulation 62,339 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #20HarrisonburgPopulation 51,784 · solid overall livability11% match
- #21McLeanPopulation 49,587 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #22LeesburgPopulation 48,465 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #23TuckahoePopulation 48,049 · mixed overall livability11% match
- #24CharlottesvillePopulation 46,289 · solid overall livability11% match
- #25AshburnPopulation 45,479 · mixed overall livability11% match
Match % is a range-based fit: the share of this profile's weighted factors whose value for a place lands inside the profile's preferred band. It is not an absolute quality score, and very small communities are excluded from this list.
Tune these weights yourself on the interactive map →
Disagree with the ranking? Drag the sliders for affordable living and watch the map re-score every place in Virginia live.