Cost of Living in Virginia
What it costs to live in Virginia, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 8,811,195
- Median household income
- $92,090
- State income tax
- Up to 5.8%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 101.1
What a typical paycheck keeps in Virginia
The typical Virginia worker earns $55,690 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $7,625 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $55,690
- Federal income tax
- −$4,503
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,260
- State income tax
- −$2,388
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,152
- Everyday costs
- −$17,762
a year, or $635 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Virginia.
Cost of living in Virginia
Prices across Virginia run 1% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing7% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)About the same as the US average
- Utilities8% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items1% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,596 | $19,152 |
| Food | $495 | $5,940 |
| Transportation | $392 | $4,704 |
| Healthcare | $353 | $4,236 |
| Utilities | $240 | $2,880 |
| Total before taxes | $3,076 | $36,912 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Virginia taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 2% |
| $3,000 | 3% |
| $5,000 | 5% |
| $17,000 | 5.8% |
Taxes on the median household income
$92,090 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$11,430 |
| Payroll taxes | −$7,045 |
| State income tax | −$4,481 |
| Effective tax rate | 24.9% |
Cities in Virginia
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Virginia city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Virginia
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $197,110 | $99,339 |
| Lawyer | $167,210 | $79,840 |
| Pharmacist | $144,060 | $65,348 |
| Software engineer | $136,460 | $60,591 |
| Physician assistant | $135,940 | $60,265 |
| Nurse practitioner | $127,810 | $55,176 |
| Veterinarian | $126,730 | $54,499 |
| Data scientist | $126,430 | $54,311 |
| Project manager | $120,840 | $50,793 |
| Financial analyst | $105,490 | $40,876 |
| Mechanical engineer | $104,180 | $40,030 |
| Dental hygienist | $102,950 | $39,235 |
| Physical therapist | $101,450 | $38,267 |
| Occupational therapist | $100,710 | $37,789 |
| Civil engineer | $97,120 | $35,470 |
Salary pages in Virginia, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Virginia
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $310,740 |
| Physicians, All Other | $278,530 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $222,630 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $201,490 |
| Dentists, General | $197,110 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $191,820 |
| Sales Managers | $191,130 |
| Marketing Managers | $187,820 |
| Financial Managers | $185,220 |
| Public Relations Managers | $176,340 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $176,160 |
| Lawyers | $167,210 |
| Purchasing Managers | $166,230 |
| Managers, All Other | $166,230 |
| Human Resources Managers | $165,980 |
Living in Virginia
Virginia against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Virginia | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $403,500 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,646 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 9.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 43.3% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 28.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 15.8% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Virginia with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Virginia?
Prices in Virginia are 1% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,596 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,480 a month.
Does Virginia have a state income tax?
Yes. Virginia's income tax rate is up to 5.8%. On a typical wage of $55,690, a single filer pays about $2,388 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Virginia?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $45,500 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Virginia earns $55,690 and keeps $7,625 after those costs.
Where in Virginia does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Virginia cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Richmond ($5,457 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Virginia Beach ($1,257).
What jobs pay the most in Virginia?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Virginia goes to Chief Executives ($310,740); Physicians, All Other ($278,530); Family Medicine Physicians ($222,630) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate