Charlottesville vs Fredericksburg
Charlottesville, Virginia versus Fredericksburg, Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Charlottesville edges out Fredericksburg on overall objective livability (51 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Charlottesville | Fredericksburg |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $67k | $83k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $60k |
| Home Value | $398k | $438k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.64% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 5.77% | 5.77% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.73% | 11.05% |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 36°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 43.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.0 in | 11.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 253 days | 181 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 92 days | 76 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 21.9 | 34.8 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 81.3 | — |
| Violent Crime | 1901/100k | 3349/100k |
| Property Crime | 3424/100k | 3977/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 46,289 | 28,258 |
| Median Age | 32.4 | 30.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.88 |
| Political Leaning | D+74 | D+36 |
| White (%) | 65.3% | 56.9% |
| Black (%) | 17.0% | 20.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.8% | 11.7% |
| Asian (%) | 7.0% | 3.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.9% | 6.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 15.0/20 | 9.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 74 mi | 45 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 90.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 73.88 | 102.98 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Charlottesville or Fredericksburg more affordable?
- Charlottesville has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Charlottesville's $56k and Fredericksburg's $60k. Median rent is $1k in Charlottesville versus $1k in Fredericksburg.
- Is Charlottesville or Fredericksburg safer?
- Charlottesville has the lower violent crime rate. Charlottesville reports 1901/100k and Fredericksburg reports 3349/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Charlottesville or Fredericksburg?
- The median home value is $398k in Charlottesville and $438k in Fredericksburg, so homes are more affordable in Charlottesville.