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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
One more thing before the rankings — this context changes everything: 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. The practical impact: more room for…
#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
One more thing before the rankings — this context changes everything: 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. The practical impact: more room for childcare, savings, or just breathing room.
Let's be honest: Virginia isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Hampton proves it with a cost index of 98 — this is the part where it gets real — , the lowest in Virginia, and we've ranked all 7 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
Hampton earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 98 cost index sits 14 points below the national baseline, and the $67,758 — for better or worse — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. It lines up with what you'd expect. Homes list at $272,161 — $195,209 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 90, while Healthcare trails at 101 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Stepping back, The 7 cities we track in Virginia paint a surprisingly balanced picture. Average cost index: 107. Median rent: $1,804/month. Household income: $79,954. Virginia is known for DC suburbs drive costs; the rest stays affordable — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
In plain English: What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
| Rank | City | Healthcare Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampton | 101 | 98 | $1,587 | Details |
| 2 | Newport News | 102 | 99 | $1,596 | Details |
| 3 | Norfolk | 104 | 101 | $1,696 | Details |
| 4 | Richmond | 105 | 102 | $1,574 | Details |
| 5 | Virginia Beach | 114 | 110 | $1,953 | Details |
| 6 | Chesapeake | 114 | 111 | $2,002 | Details |
| 7 | Alexandria | 130 | 126 | $2,223 | Details |
137,098 residents · Virginia
Put it this way: 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. That tracks. 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.
183,118 residents · Virginia
Newport News comes in at #2. It's fine. Not great, not bad. Rent is $1,596 a month. Household income is $66,718. The cost of living index is 99. That's about what we'd expect given the state context (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
230,930 residents · Virginia
Here's Norfolk by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And as far as the data shows, cost index: 101. Rent: $1,696/month. Income: $64,017/year. Home price: $302,742. Population: 230,930. The strongest category is Utilities at 93; the most expensive is Healthcare at 104. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,388 per year vs. the national median. That's the kind of stat homebuyers should print out for their mortgage meetings (that's pre-tax, of course).
114,106 residents · Virginia
Richmond earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 102 cost index sits 10 points below the national baseline, and the $62,671 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $361,133 — $106,237 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 94, while Healthcare trails at 105.
453,649 residents · Virginia
Why Virginia Beach ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. At 110 on the cost index, residents save roughly 2% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,953/month — we had to double-check this one — while the median household pulls in $90,685/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 102, though Housing (126) lags behind. Home prices average $418,508 — $48,862 below the national median.
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 healthcare index at 101, 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.