Rent Affordability for A Lawyer in Virginia

A typical lawyer in Virginia earns about $179,999 a year, which supports approximately $4,500 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. 87 of 89 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 2 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Martinsville, VA$871/mo5.8%very comfortable
Danville, VA$1,167/mo7.8%very comfortable
Farmville, VA$1,291/mo8.6%very comfortable
Lynchburg, VA$1,325/mo8.8%very comfortable
Petersburg, VA$1,337/mo8.9%very comfortable
Madison Heights, VA$1,351/mo9%very comfortable
Bristol, VA$1,376/mo9.2%very comfortable
Roanoke, VA$1,394/mo9.3%very comfortable
Hopewell, VA$1,419/mo9.5%very comfortable
South Hill, VA$1,425/mo9.5%very comfortable
Radford, VA$1,503/mo10%very comfortable
Salem, VA$1,536/mo10.2%very comfortable
Forest, VA$1,557/mo10.4%very comfortable
Staunton, VA$1,581/mo10.5%very comfortable
Highland Springs, VA$1,581/mo10.5%very comfortable
Newport News, VA$1,587/mo10.6%very comfortable
Montrose, VA$1,595/mo10.6%very comfortable
Waynesboro, VA$1,602/mo10.7%very comfortable
Portsmouth, VA$1,617/mo10.8%very comfortable
Bellwood, VA$1,658/mo11.1%very comfortable
Richmond, VA$1,682/mo11.2%very comfortable
Hampton, VA$1,693/mo11.3%very comfortable
Christiansburg, VA$1,693/mo11.3%very comfortable
Colonial Heights, VA$1,690/mo11.3%very comfortable
Lexington, VA$1,699/mo11.3%very comfortable
Blacksburg, VA$1,721/mo11.5%very comfortable
Norfolk, VA$1,752/mo11.7%very comfortable
East Highland Park, VA$1,755/mo11.7%very comfortable
Winchester, VA$1,785/mo11.9%very comfortable
Front Royal, VA$1,786/mo11.9%very comfortable
Henrico, VA$1,782/mo11.9%very comfortable
Fishersville, VA$1,795/mo12%very comfortable
Chester, VA$1,835/mo12.2%very comfortable
Carrollton, VA$1,825/mo12.2%very comfortable
Powhatan, VA$1,835/mo12.2%very comfortable
Harrisonburg, VA$1,848/mo12.3%very comfortable
Culpeper, VA$1,908/mo12.7%very comfortable
Suffolk, VA$1,993/mo13.3%very comfortable
Charlottesville, VA$2,021/mo13.5%very comfortable
Chesapeake, VA$2,041/mo13.6%very comfortable
Lakeside, VA$2,033/mo13.6%very comfortable
Williamsburg, VA$2,058/mo13.7%very comfortable
Virginia Beach, VA$2,065/mo13.8%very comfortable
Midlothian, VA$2,072/mo13.8%very comfortable
Fredericksburg, VA$2,079/mo13.9%very comfortable
Palmyra, VA$2,089/mo13.9%very comfortable
Spotsylvania, VA$2,092/mo13.9%very comfortable
Manassas Park, VA$2,106/mo14%very comfortable
Fort Belvoir, VA$2,107/mo14%very comfortable
Glen Allen, VA$2,113/mo14.1%very comfortable
Mechanicsville, VA$2,139/mo14.3%very comfortable
Yorktown, VA$2,149/mo14.3%very comfortable
Lincolnia, VA$2,156/mo14.4%very comfortable
Prince George, VA$2,167/mo14.4%very comfortable
Woodbridge, VA$2,195/mo14.6%very comfortable
Manassas, VA$2,200/mo14.7%very comfortable
Huntington, VA$2,202/mo14.7%very comfortable
Belle Haven, VA$2,284/mo15.2%very comfortable
Stephens City, VA$2,277/mo15.2%very comfortable
Warrenton, VA$2,296/mo15.3%very comfortable
Chesterfield, VA$2,289/mo15.3%very comfortable
Alexandria, VA$2,318/mo15.5%very comfortable
Leesburg, VA$2,399/mo16%very comfortable
Centreville, VA$2,424/mo16.2%very comfortable
Annandale, VA$2,462/mo16.4%very comfortable
Fairfax, VA$2,458/mo16.4%very comfortable
Herndon, VA$2,467/mo16.4%very comfortable
Smithfield, VA$2,498/mo16.7%very comfortable
Falls Church, VA$2,537/mo16.9%very comfortable
Lorton, VA$2,567/mo17.1%very comfortable
Reston, VA$2,598/mo17.3%very comfortable
Stafford, VA$2,664/mo17.8%very comfortable
Arlington, VA$2,722/mo18.1%very comfortable
Sterling, VA$2,718/mo18.1%very comfortable
McLean, VA$2,769/mo18.5%very comfortable
Mount Vernon, VA$2,775/mo18.5%very comfortable
Purcellville, VA$2,800/mo18.7%very comfortable
Burke, VA$2,896/mo19.3%very comfortable
Gainesville, VA$2,947/mo19.6%very comfortable
Ashburn, VA$2,995/mo20%very comfortable
Dumfries, VA$3,099/mo20.7%affordable
Oakton, VA$3,116/mo20.8%affordable
Springfield, VA$3,142/mo20.9%affordable
Chantilly, VA$3,208/mo21.4%affordable
Aldie, VA$3,310/mo22.1%affordable
Vienna, VA$3,536/mo23.6%affordable
Haymarket, VA$4,075/mo27.2%affordable
Fort Hunt, VA$4,549/mo30.3%stretched
Great Falls, VA$5,167/mo34.4%stretched
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for Virginia. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).