PlainCost
Home / States / Virginia

State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Cost of Living in Virginia

Statewide Regional Price Parities for Virginia from the Bureau of Economic Analysis — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 9 metro areas.

101.1
Statewide RPP
#16
of 51 states by cost
106.8
Rents RPP
9
Metro areas

The verdict

Virginia is more expensive than 69% of U.S. states — a statewide cost index of 101.1, 1.1% above the national average.

101.1
statewide cost index (US average = 100)
#16
of 51 states by overall cost
top 31%
nationally, among all states
106.8
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $98,908 when earned in Virginia.

Reading the Virginia Cost of Living Picture

The Bureau of Economic Analysis places Virginia's statewide Regional Price Parity at 101.1 for the 2024 data year, 1.1% more expensive the U.S. baseline of 100. Inside the headline figure, the state's rents line runs hottest at 106.8, while services offer the biggest relief at 92.2. That internal spread — rather than the single state number — is what determines whether a household actually feels priced in or priced out.

Virginia captures 9 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Charlottesville, VA leads on cost at 99.1, while Lynchburg, VA sits at the opposite end at 89.4 — a gap of 9.8 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 100.4, for services 92.2, and for rents 106.8 — the rent figure tends to be the most volatile input and deserves its own line-item review before any relocation decision.

Over time, Virginia's statewide index has eased by 2.1 points, narrowing the premium versus lower-cost states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $98,908 of national buying power when earned inside Virginia, and a household relocating here would need roughly $101,104 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. Pair these numbers with metro-specific wage data and rent tables before treating the statewide figure as your planning assumption.

101.1
Overall
100.4
Goods
92.2
Services
106.8
Rents

Virginia vs every U.S. state

Where this state sits in the national cost distribution

101 Top 31% higher than 69% of 51 US states

84–87: 2 US states (4%). Below this entry. 87–90: 7 US states (14%). Below this entry. 90–93: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 93–96: 6 US states (12%). Below this entry. 96–99: 8 US states (16%). Below this entry. 99–102: 5 US states (10%). This entry sits in this band. 102–105: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 105–108: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 108–111: 4 US states (8%). Above this entry. 111–114: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 114–117: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. This state 84 117 every US state (incl. DC), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. 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

Most Expensive in Virginia → Cheapest in Virginia →

Metro areas in Virginia, ranked by cost

# Metro area OverallGoodsServicesRents
1 Charlottesville 99.1 96.8 89.0 107.0
2 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 97.9 96.8 89.6 99.8
3 Richmond 97.9 96.8 89.2 99.1
4 Winchester 96.5 96.7 89.7 90.0
5 Harrisonburg 94.9 96.8 88.5 82.3
6 Roanoke 93.6 96.8 88.9 78.5
7 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford 92.7 96.8 88.1 74.4
8 Staunton-Stuarts Draft 91.1 96.8 89.5 68.2
9 Lynchburg 89.4 96.8 87.8 63.9

The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.

RPP History

Year Overall
2008 103.2
2009 102.4
2010 103.7
2011 103.4
2012 102.5
2013 103.5
2014 103.5
2015 103.6
2016 102.8
2017 101.2
2018 102.0
2019 100.1
2020 101.0
2021 102.3
2022 102.0
2023 101.3
2024 101.1

Cost of Living Guides

Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Cost of Living vs Wages
Where your dollar goes furthest
Understanding Regional Price Parities
How BEA constructs RPP data

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Virginia? ▼
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 101.1, meaning it is 1.1% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 100.4, services at 92.2, and rents at 106.8.
What salary in Virginia equals $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $101,104 in Virginia. Conversely, $100K earned in Virginia has the purchasing power of $98,908 at the national average.
Is housing expensive in Virginia? ▼
Rents in Virginia are indexed at 106.8, which is 6.8% above the national average. Housing costs are close to the national average.
Which is the most expensive metro in Virginia? ▼
The most expensive metro area in Virginia is Charlottesville, VA with an RPP of 99.1. The most affordable is Lynchburg, VA at 89.4. There are 9 metro areas in Virginia with BEA price data.
Is Virginia getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Virginia's overall cost index changed by -2.1 points (from 103.2 to 101.1). The cost of living has been declining.
What is most expensive in Virginia compared to the U.S. average? ▼
The most expensive category in Virginia is rents at 106.8, which is 6.8% above the national average. The most affordable category is services at 92.2, 7.8% below average.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.