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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Premium market, smart picks: while Virginia trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Hampton at index 98 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Virginia (and that gap widens if you factor in state ta…
#1 Ranked: Hampton — cost index 98, rent $1,587/mo, income $67,758
Hampton rent up 4% over the past year
6 of 7 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Premium market, smart picks: while Virginia trends above the national average, the gap between the most and least expensive cities here is wider than you'd think. Hampton at index 98 is the standout — offering meaningful savings without leaving Virginia (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
If there's one takeaway from this page, it's this: Hampton rent up 4% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Hampton has increased from $1,527 to $1,587/mo over the past 12 months — a 4% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. This is an advantage that compounds over time.
Look, Dive into Hampton's numbers: cost index 98 (14 points below national average), rent $1,587/month, income $67,758, and a home price of $272,161. And broadly, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 90, while Healthcare runs 101. With 137,098 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
The food & groceries sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. A score of 105 (the top-10 average here) means food & groceries costs are about -5% below the national median. Hampton leads at 96, followed by Newport News (97) and Norfolk (99). Note: a low food & groceries index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
If the first stat impressed you, this one grounds it. Virginia — DC suburbs drive costs; the rest stays affordable. The 7 cities we track here average a cost index of 107 and median income of $79,954. It lands right near the national baseline, which makes the differences between individual cities all the more important. The typical rent runs $1,804/month, which is $91 less than the national median.
Rankings quantify the landscape. And with some exceptions, but the decision to move is personal. Use the spotlights above to zero in on 2-3 finalists, then run your actual salary through the calculator. The question isn't just "where is it cheapest?" — it's "where does my specific income buy the life I want?" Start here. Dig deeper on the linked city pages.
| Rank | City | Food & Groceries Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampton | 96 | 98 | $1,587 | Details |
| 2 | Newport News | 97 | 99 | $1,596 | Details |
| 3 | Norfolk | 99 | 101 | $1,696 | Details |
| 4 | Richmond | 100 | 102 | $1,574 | Details |
| 5 | Virginia Beach | 108 | 110 | $1,953 | Details |
| 6 | Chesapeake | 109 | 111 | $2,002 | Details |
| 7 | Alexandria | 124 | 126 | $2,223 | Details |
137,098 residents · Virginia
At $1,587/month for rent and a cost index of 98, Hampton is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. And in most cases, income is $67,758. That tracks.
183,118 residents · Virginia
A closer look at Newport News: the cost index of 99 breaks down to a Utilities index of 91 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 102 (weakest). Median rent is $1,596/month — 16% below the national median — while household income sits at $66,718, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
230,930 residents · Virginia
Norfolk earns its position at #3 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 101 cost index sits 11 points below the national baseline, and the $64,017 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $302,742 — $164,628 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 93, while Healthcare trails at 104 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
229,247 residents · Virginia
A closer look at Richmond: the cost index of 102 breaks down to a Utilities index of 94 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 105 (weakest). Median rent is $1,574/month — 17% below the national median — while household income sits at $62,671, meaning locals spend about 30% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
453,649 residents · Virginia
Dive into Virginia Beach's numbers: cost index 110 (2 points below national average), rent $1,953/month, income $90,685, and a home price of $418,508. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 102, while Housing runs 126. With 453,649 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Hampton ranks #1 in Virginia for this analysis with a cost index of 98 and median income of $67,758.
Hampton, VA has the lowest food & groceries index at 96, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Hampton (ranked #1) has a cost index of 98 and rent of $1,587/mo, while Alexandria (ranked #7) has a cost index of 126 and rent of $2,223/mo — a 28-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Hampton is $1,587/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $308 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Hampton is $272,161, which is 4.0× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Virginia has a 5.75% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 5.77%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.75%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.