Rent Affordability for A Chef in Virginia
A typical chef in Virginia earns about $65,433 a year, which supports approximately $1,636 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Virginia city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 21 of 89 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 68 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martinsville, VA | $883/mo | 16.2% | very comfortable |
| Madison Heights, VA | $1,090/mo | 20% | very comfortable |
| Danville, VA | $1,195/mo | 21.9% | affordable |
| Farmville, VA | $1,215/mo | 22.3% | affordable |
| Bristol, VA | $1,310/mo | 24% | affordable |
| Lynchburg, VA | $1,333/mo | 24.4% | affordable |
| Hopewell, VA | $1,340/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Petersburg, VA | $1,346/mo | 24.7% | affordable |
| Roanoke, VA | $1,401/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| South Hill, VA | $1,425/mo | 26.1% | affordable |
| Waynesboro, VA | $1,461/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Radford, VA | $1,467/mo | 26.9% | affordable |
| Forest, VA | $1,516/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Staunton, VA | $1,558/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| Colonial Heights, VA | $1,565/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Highland Springs, VA | $1,576/mo | 28.9% | affordable |
| Christiansburg, VA | $1,589/mo | 29.1% | affordable |
| Newport News, VA | $1,590/mo | 29.2% | affordable |
| Portsmouth, VA | $1,599/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Montrose, VA | $1,595/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Salem, VA | $1,621/mo | 29.7% | affordable |
| Lexington, VA | $1,651/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Richmond, VA | $1,666/mo | 30.6% | stretched |
| Hampton, VA | $1,682/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Bellwood, VA | $1,686/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Norfolk, VA | $1,736/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Blacksburg, VA | $1,746/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Carrollton, VA | $1,750/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| East Highland Park, VA | $1,760/mo | 32.3% | stretched |
| Henrico, VA | $1,764/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Front Royal, VA | $1,779/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Fishersville, VA | $1,795/mo | 32.9% | stretched |
| Culpeper, VA | $1,798/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Winchester, VA | $1,812/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Chester, VA | $1,826/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $1,831/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Powhatan, VA | $1,835/mo | 33.7% | stretched |
| Charlottesville, VA | $1,992/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Suffolk, VA | $1,999/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Palmyra, VA | $2,000/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Spotsylvania, VA | $2,011/mo | 36.9% | stretched |
| Chesapeake, VA | $2,066/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Fredericksburg, VA | $2,065/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Williamsburg, VA | $2,065/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $2,076/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Midlothian, VA | $2,083/mo | 38.2% | stretched |
| Manassas Park, VA | $2,090/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Yorktown, VA | $2,095/mo | 38.4% | stretched |
| Glen Allen, VA | $2,098/mo | 38.5% | stretched |
| Fort Belvoir, VA | $2,107/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Chesterfield, VA | $2,124/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Mechanicsville, VA | $2,150/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Stephens City, VA | $2,149/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Prince George, VA | $2,167/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Lincolnia, VA | $2,188/mo | 40.1% | rent-burdened |
| Woodbridge, VA | $2,194/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Manassas, VA | $2,190/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Huntington, VA | $2,194/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Lakeside, VA | $2,247/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Belle Haven, VA | $2,252/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Warrenton, VA | $2,307/mo | 42.3% | rent-burdened |
| Alexandria, VA | $2,325/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Centreville, VA | $2,431/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Fairfax, VA | $2,459/mo | 45.1% | rent-burdened |
| Leesburg, VA | $2,475/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Herndon, VA | $2,482/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Annandale, VA | $2,498/mo | 45.8% | rent-burdened |
| Smithfield, VA | $2,498/mo | 45.8% | rent-burdened |
| Stafford, VA | $2,549/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| Falls Church, VA | $2,562/mo | 47% | rent-burdened |
| Mount Vernon, VA | $2,601/mo | 47.7% | rent-burdened |
| Reston, VA | $2,615/mo | 48% | rent-burdened |
| Lorton, VA | $2,616/mo | 48% | rent-burdened |
| Sterling, VA | $2,689/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Arlington, VA | $2,729/mo | 50% | severely rent-burdened |
| McLean, VA | $2,772/mo | 50.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Gainesville, VA | $2,959/mo | 54.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Burke, VA | $2,993/mo | 54.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oakton, VA | $3,037/mo | 55.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ashburn, VA | $3,075/mo | 56.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Springfield, VA | $3,100/mo | 56.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Purcellville, VA | $3,100/mo | 56.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Chantilly, VA | $3,154/mo | 57.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Aldie, VA | $3,206/mo | 58.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Dumfries, VA | $3,211/mo | 58.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Vienna, VA | $3,445/mo | 63.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Haymarket, VA | $3,637/mo | 66.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Fort Hunt, VA | $4,274/mo | 78.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Great Falls, VA | $5,481/mo | 100.5% | severely rent-burdened |