Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
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, the lowest in Virginia, and we've ranked all 7 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
#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
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, the lowest in Virginia, and we've ranked all 7 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 117 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about -17% below the national median. Hampton leads at 95, followed by Newport News (97) and Norfolk (102). Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
No sugarcoating: What does daily life actually cost in Hampton? Start with the 28% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. And with some exceptions, on the category level, Utilities (index 90) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 101) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $67,758 and homes at $272,161 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
Here's the surprising part: Hampton rent up 4% over the past year. And roughly speaking, 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 where the math gets real for actual people.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| Rank | City | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampton | 95 | 98 | $1,587 | Details |
| 2 | Newport News | 97 | 99 | $1,596 | Details |
| 3 | Norfolk | 102 | 101 | $1,696 | Details |
| 4 | Richmond | 104 | 102 | $1,574 | Details |
| 5 | Virginia Beach | 126 | 110 | $1,953 | Details |
| 6 | Chesapeake | 127 | 111 | $2,002 | Details |
| 7 | Alexandria | 165 | 126 | $2,223 | Details |
137,098 residents · Virginia
The #1 spot goes to Hampton, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,587/month — saving renters $3,696 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 90, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 101. A 28% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
183,118 residents · Virginia
In plain English: Newport News earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 99 cost index sits 13 points below the national baseline, and the $66,718 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $287,123 — $180,247 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 91, while Healthcare trails at 102.
230,930 residents · Virginia
Here's Norfolk by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). 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. Over a five-year window, that difference is life-changing.
114,106 residents · Virginia
What does daily life actually cost in Richmond? Start with the 30% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. And most of the time, on the category level, Utilities (index 94) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 105) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $62,671 and homes at $361,133 round out a profile that ranks #4 for clear reasons (though the trend is moving in the right direction).
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 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 housing index at 95, 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.