Charlottesville vs Short Pump
Charlottesville, Virginia versus Short Pump, Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Charlottesville and Short Pump score about the same overall (51 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Charlottesville | Short Pump |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $67k | $131k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $56k |
| Home Value | $398k | $515k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.77% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 5.77% | 5.77% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.73% | 10.72% |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 1.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 38°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 47.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.0 in | 14.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 253 days | 192 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 92 days | 75 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 21.9 | 17.0 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 81.3 | 48.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1901/100k | 1605/100k |
| Property Crime | 3424/100k | 3704/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 46,289 | 28,400 |
| Median Age | 32.4 | 38.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+74 | D+69 |
| White (%) | 65.3% | 59.4% |
| Black (%) | 17.0% | 6.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.8% | 3.9% |
| Asian (%) | 7.0% | 26.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.9% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 15.0/20 | 7.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 74 mi | 20 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 96.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 73.88 | 95.77 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
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 Short Pump more affordable?
- Short Pump has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Charlottesville's $56k and Short Pump's $56k. Median rent is $1k in Charlottesville versus $2k in Short Pump.
- Is Charlottesville or Short Pump safer?
- Short Pump has the lower violent crime rate. Charlottesville reports 1901/100k and Short Pump reports 1605/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Charlottesville or Short Pump?
- The median home value is $398k in Charlottesville and $515k in Short Pump, so homes are more affordable in Charlottesville.