Charlottesville vs Staunton
Charlottesville, Virginia versus Staunton, 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 Staunton score about the same overall (51 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Charlottesville | Staunton |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $67k | $60k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $49k |
| Home Value | $398k | $220k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $984 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.74% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 5.77% | 5.77% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.73% | 10.44% |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 37°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 40.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.0 in | 21.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 253 days | 253 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 92 days | 85 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 21.9 | 22.8 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 81.3 | 60.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1901/100k | 1238/100k |
| Property Crime | 3424/100k | 1874/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 46,289 | 25,581 |
| Median Age | 32.4 | 41.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.32 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.84 |
| Political Leaning | D+74 | D+10 |
| White (%) | 65.3% | 79.9% |
| Black (%) | 17.0% | 10.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.8% | 3.8% |
| Asian (%) | 7.0% | 1.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.9% | 4.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 15.0/20 | 9.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 74 mi | 103 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 80.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 73.88 | 37.53 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
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 Staunton more affordable?
- Staunton has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Charlottesville's $56k and Staunton's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Charlottesville versus $984 in Staunton.
- Is Charlottesville or Staunton safer?
- Staunton has the lower violent crime rate. Charlottesville reports 1901/100k and Staunton reports 1238/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Charlottesville or Staunton?
- The median home value is $398k in Charlottesville and $220k in Staunton, so homes are more affordable in Staunton.