Overall
91.1
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA
Cost-of-living indicators for Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 91.1
- Overall RPP
- #266
- of 387 metros
- 68.2
- Rents RPP
- $110K
- $100K national buys
Staunton ranks #266 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has held steady since 2008.
- stable since 2008
- similar cost to Killeen-Temple
The verdict
Staunton costs less than 69% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 91.1, 8.9% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 68.2.
- bottom 31%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 96.8
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 89.5
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $109,736 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $91,128.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Staunton's overall RPP fell -1.7 points, from 92.9 in 2023 to 91.1 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 75.2 to 68.2. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 1.6 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2016, when the index dropped 7.5 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Staunton overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 89.5 |
| 2009 | 85.8 |
| 2010 | 88.3 |
| 2011 | 87.9 |
| 2012 | 90.2 |
| 2013 | 90.8 |
| 2014 | 91.2 |
| 2015 | 91.4 |
| 2016 | 83.9 |
| 2017 | 88.9 |
| 2018 | 92.4 |
| 2019 | 89.5 |
| 2020 | 87.6 |
| 2021 | 92.8 |
| 2022 | 91.4 |
| 2023 | 92.9 |
| 2024 | 91.1 |
Housing-led affordability profile
How Staunton's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Staunton: rents index at 68.2, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 91.1.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Spartanburg, SC, Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL. They resemble Staunton across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Staunton's overall index has stayed within 1.6 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Staunton vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
91 Bottom 31% higher than 31% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Staunton cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
68.2 RPP
- Services
Services
89.5 RPP
- Overall
Overall
91.1 RPP
- Goods
Goods
96.8 RPP
What this shows Staunton's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 68.2 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 89.5. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Staunton's cost comes from
Metros near Staunton's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Staunton (Staunton, this metro): goods RPP 96.8, rents RPP 68.2
- Killeen: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 77.9
- Lewiston: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 71.9
- Spartanburg: goods RPP 96.3, rents RPP 68
- Peoria: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 63.8
- Bismarck: goods RPP 95.7, rents RPP 84
- Mankato: goods RPP 95.4, rents RPP 79.9
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.8
Below avg
Services
89.5
Cheap
Rents
68.2
Cheap
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$91,128
in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$45,564
$75,000 nationally
$68,346
$125,000 nationally
$113,910
$150,000 nationally
$136,692
$200,000 nationally
$182,256
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
C
72/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability C
72nd percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
VA-relative analysis
Rent prices places Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA toward the bottom of VA's metros
Among the 9 VA metros PlainCost tracks with reported rent prices data, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA ranks #8 - the 11th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 9
22nd percentile in VA
Services prices
#3 of 9
67th percentile in VA
Rent prices
#8 of 9
11th percentile in VA
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within VA only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (91.1 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (68.2 here).
Other VA Metros
Charlottesville, VA 99.1 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 97.9 Richmond, VA 97.9 Winchester, VA-WV 96.5 Harrisonburg, VA 94.9 Roanoke, VA 93.6
View all VA metros → Cheapest in VA → Most expensive in VA →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Staunton's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Spartanburg, SC
Goods 96.3 · Services 88.3 · Rents 68.0 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
Goods 96.3 · Services 89.5 · Rents 70.6 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
Goods 94.2 · Services 89.9 · Rents 68.3 Morgantown, WV
Goods 96.3 · Services 92.5 · Rents 69.1 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
Goods 93.8 · Services 89.5 · Rents 69.4 Winston-Salem, NC
Goods 96.6 · Services 88.4 · Rents 71.4
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA's index of 91.1.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Staunton
How to read Staunton's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $109,736 in Staunton. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 68.2, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Staunton head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?
Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 91.1, meaning it is 8.9% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.8, services at 89.5, and rents at 68.2. It ranks #266 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $91,128 in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA. Conversely, $100K earned in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA has the purchasing power of $109,736 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?
Rents in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA are indexed at 68.2, which is 31.8% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA's overall cost index changed by +1.6 points (from 89.5 to 91.1). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What costs the most in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?
The priciest category in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA is goods at 96.8, 3.2% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 68.2, 31.8% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Killeen-Temple, Lewiston, Spartanburg. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA's 91.1.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.