Cost of living in Richmond, VA
The Richmond, VA metro area (1,368,219 people) ranks #79 of 149 for prices among the U.S. metro areas we cover. Here's what it costs to live there.
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Price level, from cheaper to pricier.
- The Villages, FL 85.4
- McAllen, TX 85.9
- Springfield, MO 88.6
- Wichita, KS 88.9
- Jackson, MS 89.0
- Tulsa, OK 89.2
- Columbus, GA 89.3
- Little Rock, AR 89.4
- El Paso, TX 89.9
- Oklahoma City, OK 90.4
- Sioux Falls, SD 90.6
- Baton Rouge, LA 90.8
- Clarksville, TN 90.9
- Fargo, ND 90.9
- Killeen, TX 91.1
- Spartanburg, SC 91.1
- Fayetteville, AR 91.4
- Chattanooga, TN 91.5
- Toledo, OH 91.5
- Birmingham, AL 91.6
- Des Moines, IA 91.7
- Augusta, GA 91.9
- Omaha, NE 91.9
- Fayetteville, NC 92.0
- Winston-Salem, NC 92.0
- Jacksonville, NC 92.1
- Memphis, TN 92.2
- Kansas City, MO 92.5
- Fort Wayne, IN 92.6
- Knoxville, TN 92.6
- New Orleans, LA 92.6
- Dayton, OH 92.7
- Greensboro, NC 92.9
- Lexington, KY 92.9
- Huntsville, AL 93.1
- Louisville, KY 93.1
- Greenville, SC 93.3
- Akron, OH 93.4
- Billings, MT 93.5
- Myrtle Beach, SC 93.6
- Columbia, SC 93.7
- Cleveland, OH 93.9
- Daphne, AL 94.7
- Pittsburgh, PA 94.7
- San Antonio, TX 94.7
- St. Louis, MO 95.1
- Ocala, FL 95.2
- Savannah, GA 95.2
- Cincinnati, OH 95.4
- Albuquerque, NM 95.5
- Columbus, OH 95.5
- Grand Rapids, MI 95.5
- Indianapolis, IN 95.7
- Syracuse, NY 95.7
- Buffalo, NY 95.8
- Nashville, TN 96.3
- Wilmington, NC 96.4
- Asheville, NC 96.5
- Cheyenne, WY 96.5
- Gainesville, FL 96.7
- Milwaukee, WI 96.9
- Tucson, AZ 96.9
- Crestview, FL 97.0
- Rochester, NY 97.0
- Lakeland, FL 97.1
- Charlotte, NC 97.3
- Madison, WI 97.3
- Panama City, FL 97.3
- Durham, NC 97.6
- Pensacola, FL 97.7
- Richmond, VA 97.9
- Virginia Beach, VA 97.9
- Hilton Head Island, SC 98.0
- Austin, TX 98.1
- Provo, UT 98.2
- Raleigh, NC 98.2
- Prescott, AZ 98.3
- Boise, ID 98.4
- Houston, TX 98.6
- Harrisburg, PA 98.7
- Daytona Beach, FL 99.4
- Jacksonville, FL 99.5
- Albany, NY 99.6
- Allentown, PA 100.0
- Palm Bay, FL 100.0
- Atlanta, GA 100.1
- Greeley, CO 100.2
- Las Vegas, NV 100.2
- Port St. Lucie, FL 100.2
- Detroit, MI 100.3
- Ogden, UT 100.3
- Spokane, WA 100.3
- Norwich, CT 100.4
- Punta Gorda, FL 100.5
- Colorado Springs, CO 100.7
- Ann Arbor, MI 100.9
- Bakersfield, CA 100.9
- Burlington, VT 100.9
- Salt Lake City, UT 100.9
- Tampa, FL 100.9
- Charleston, SC 101.0
- Reno, NV 101.0
- Fort Collins, CO 101.1
- Orlando, FL 101.4
- Eugene, OR 101.6
- Providence, RI 101.8
- Portland, ME 101.9
- Fresno, CA 102.2
- Cape Coral, FL 102.3
- Sarasota, FL 102.4
- Worcester, MA 102.5
- Philadelphia, PA 102.6
- Hartford, CT 102.7
- Dallas, TX 103.1
- Naples, FL 103.2
- Trenton, NJ 103.2
- Phoenix, AZ 103.3
- Bend, OR 103.6
- Chicago, IL 103.6
- Olympia, WA 103.7
- Baltimore, MD 104.5
- New Haven, CT 104.6
- Minneapolis, MN 104.8
- Stockton, CA 105.1
- Boulder, CO 105.2
- Anchorage, AK 105.4
- Portland, OR 105.4
- Bremerton, WA 105.6
- Manchester, NH 105.7
- Denver, CO 105.8
- Riverside, CA 106.4
- Sacramento, CA 106.7
- Bridgeport, CT 106.9
- Santa Rosa, CA 107.8
- Boston, MA 108.3
- Vallejo, CA 108.5
- Santa Barbara, CA 108.8
- Washington, D.C. 108.9
- Salinas, CA 109.0
- Poughkeepsie, NY 109.4
- San Jose, CA 110.4
- Oxnard, CA 110.5
- Honolulu, HI 111.0
- Seattle, WA 111.1
- San Diego, CA 111.9
- New York, NY 112.6
- Los Angeles, CA 113.6
- Miami, FL 114.2
- San Francisco, CA 115.6
Compare Richmond with your city
See what you'd need to earn in Richmond to keep your lifestyle, after taxes and local prices. The calculator starts from Washington, D.C., which sends the most households here of the metros we cover (IRS, 2022–2023), at about its median household income. Pick your own city and salary.
Equal salary in Richmond: $109,000
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $109,000 in Richmond, VA to match $125,000 in Washington, D.C. ($16,000 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Uses Washington, DC and Virginia state income tax; neither city levies a resident income tax.
What things cost in Richmond
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 for the metropolitan area.
Taxes in Richmond
On an $85,000 salary (about the area's median household income), a single filer keeps $64,554 after 2026 federal tax ($9,870), Social Security and Medicare ($6,503) and Virginia income tax ($4,073).
Housing
| Measure | Richmond area |
|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,546/mo |
| Median home value | $378,100 |
| Median property tax | $2,681/yr |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,333 |
| Median household income | $83,460 |
Climate and jobs in Richmond
In the Richmond area the average January low is 29°F and the average July high 90°F, and the area has about 45 days a year at 90°F or hotter. Unemployment averaged 3.4% in 2025, below the U.S. rate (4.3%), and the median wage across all jobs was $51,460 a year, 1% above the U.S. median.
| Climate | 1991–2020 average |
|---|---|
| January low | 29°F |
| July high | 90°F |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 45 a year |
| Precipitation | 46 in a year |
| Snowfall | 8.8 in a year |
| Jobs and pay | Metro area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate, 2025 average | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Median wage, all jobs (May 2025) | $51,460 | $50,980 |
| Wage and salary jobs (May 2025) | 660,350 | 155.5 million |
Climate: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages at the Richmond International Airport station (USW00013740). Weather varies across a metro area, especially with elevation and distance from the coast. Jobs: unemployment from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics; wages and job counts from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, which count wage and salary jobs, not the self-employed; wages are before taxes. The 2025 average covers 11 months: October 2025 data were not collected during the federal government shutdown.
Retiring in Richmond
A single retiree spends about $3,076 a month here if they own their home outright, or $4,104 renting, based on typical spending for households 65 and older (BLS 2024) adjusted for local prices. See where your budget goes furthest.
Where people move to and from Richmond
- Richmond to Washington, D.C.
- Richmond to Virginia Beach
- Washington, D.C. to Richmond
- Virginia Beach to Richmond
IRS county-to-county migration data, 2022–2023, aggregated to the 149 metro areas we cover.
Natural hazard risk
FEMA rates the Richmond area above average for natural hazard risk (score 65.9 of 100), with expected losses of about $215 per resident per year. Disaster risk by county in Virginia.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Richmond?
To match the buying power of $75,000 in an average-priced area with no state income tax, you need about $78,400 in Richmond. Renting the median home at 30% of income takes $61,840, and buying the median home with 20% down takes about $99,993.
Is Richmond expensive?
The Richmond metro area's price level is 97.9 (U.S. = 100), #79 of the 149 metro areas we cover, from most to least expensive. Its housing price index is 99.1, 1% below the U.S. average.
Are people moving to Richmond?
Counting moves to and from the other 148 metro areas we cover, Richmond had a net gain of about 2,091 households in 2022–2023 (IRS county migration data).
What is the weather like in Richmond?
In NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Richmond area (Richmond International Airport weather station), the average January low is 29°F and the average July high 90°F. The area has about 45 days a year at 90°F or hotter and gets 46 inches of precipitation a year and about 8.8 inches of snow.
What are jobs and pay like in Richmond?
The Richmond metro area's unemployment rate averaged 3.4% in 2025, below the U.S. rate (4.3%). The median wage across all jobs was $51,460 a year in May 2025, 1% above the U.S. median of $50,980 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What natural disasters affect Richmond?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the area above average overall (score 65.9). The highest relative risks are earthquake, hurricane, heat wave.
Compare Richmond with other cities
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Cities with similar prices
- Virginia Beach, VA 97.9
- Hilton Head Island, SC 98.0
- Austin, TX 98.1
- Pensacola, FL 97.7
- Raleigh, NC 98.2
- Provo, UT 98.2
- Moving from Virginia