Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in Virginia

A typical waiter or waitress in Virginia earns about $37,261 a year, which supports approximately $932 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. 1 of 89 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 88 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕Median rent↕% of income↑Affordability
Martinsville, VA$907/mo29.2%affordable
Madison Heights, VA$979/mo31.5%stretched
Danville, VA$1,143/mo36.8%stretched
Radford, VA$1,253/mo40.4%rent-burdened
Lynchburg, VA$1,270/mo40.9%rent-burdened
Farmville, VA$1,298/mo41.8%rent-burdened
Hopewell, VA$1,322/mo42.6%rent-burdened
Roanoke, VA$1,368/mo44.1%rent-burdened
Petersburg, VA$1,373/mo44.2%rent-burdened
Waynesboro, VA$1,398/mo45%rent-burdened
Bristol, VA$1,399/mo45.1%rent-burdened
Staunton, VA$1,473/mo47.4%rent-burdened
Christiansburg, VA$1,553/mo50%severely rent-burdened
Salem, VA$1,574/mo50.7%severely rent-burdened
Forest, VA$1,574/mo50.7%severely rent-burdened
South Hill, VA$1,575/mo50.7%severely rent-burdened
Newport News, VA$1,593/mo51.3%severely rent-burdened
Richmond, VA$1,628/mo52.4%severely rent-burdened
Montrose, VA$1,629/mo52.5%severely rent-burdened
Portsmouth, VA$1,642/mo52.9%severely rent-burdened
Lexington, VA$1,647/mo53%severely rent-burdened
Colonial Heights, VA$1,665/mo53.6%severely rent-burdened
Highland Springs, VA$1,683/mo54.2%severely rent-burdened
Hampton, VA$1,690/mo54.4%severely rent-burdened
Harrisonburg, VA$1,720/mo55.4%severely rent-burdened
Bellwood, VA$1,724/mo55.5%severely rent-burdened
Henrico, VA$1,722/mo55.5%severely rent-burdened
Norfolk, VA$1,749/mo56.3%severely rent-burdened
East Highland Park, VA$1,760/mo56.7%severely rent-burdened
Winchester, VA$1,768/mo56.9%severely rent-burdened
Fishersville, VA$1,810/mo58.3%severely rent-burdened
Chester, VA$1,829/mo58.9%severely rent-burdened
Powhatan, VA$1,835/mo59.1%severely rent-burdened
Culpeper, VA$1,878/mo60.5%severely rent-burdened
Blacksburg, VA$1,910/mo61.5%severely rent-burdened
Spotsylvania, VA$1,919/mo61.8%severely rent-burdened
Front Royal, VA$1,944/mo62.6%severely rent-burdened
Carrollton, VA$1,994/mo64.2%severely rent-burdened
Palmyra, VA$2,000/mo64.4%severely rent-burdened
Glen Allen, VA$2,022/mo65.1%severely rent-burdened
Suffolk, VA$2,028/mo65.3%severely rent-burdened
Charlottesville, VA$2,029/mo65.3%severely rent-burdened
Midlothian, VA$2,028/mo65.3%severely rent-burdened
Yorktown, VA$2,049/mo66%severely rent-burdened
Chesapeake, VA$2,063/mo66.4%severely rent-burdened
Fredericksburg, VA$2,061/mo66.4%severely rent-burdened
Belle Haven, VA$2,074/mo66.8%severely rent-burdened
Williamsburg, VA$2,094/mo67.4%severely rent-burdened
Fort Belvoir, VA$2,092/mo67.4%severely rent-burdened
Virginia Beach, VA$2,098/mo67.6%severely rent-burdened
Huntington, VA$2,111/mo68%severely rent-burdened
Stephens City, VA$2,112/mo68%severely rent-burdened
Manassas Park, VA$2,115/mo68.1%severely rent-burdened
Manassas, VA$2,135/mo68.8%severely rent-burdened
Woodbridge, VA$2,174/mo70%severely rent-burdened
Chesterfield, VA$2,178/mo70.1%severely rent-burdened
Mechanicsville, VA$2,225/mo71.7%severely rent-burdened
Lincolnia, VA$2,231/mo71.8%severely rent-burdened
Warrenton, VA$2,237/mo72%severely rent-burdened
Alexandria, VA$2,275/mo73.3%severely rent-burdened
Lakeside, VA$2,333/mo75.1%severely rent-burdened
Herndon, VA$2,382/mo76.7%severely rent-burdened
Prince George, VA$2,395/mo77.1%severely rent-burdened
Centreville, VA$2,396/mo77.2%severely rent-burdened
Mount Vernon, VA$2,402/mo77.4%severely rent-burdened
Leesburg, VA$2,431/mo78.3%severely rent-burdened
Stafford, VA$2,436/mo78.5%severely rent-burdened
Fairfax, VA$2,456/mo79.1%severely rent-burdened
Annandale, VA$2,482/mo79.9%severely rent-burdened
Falls Church, VA$2,534/mo81.6%severely rent-burdened
Smithfield, VA$2,554/mo82.3%severely rent-burdened
Sterling, VA$2,560/mo82.4%severely rent-burdened
Lorton, VA$2,562/mo82.5%severely rent-burdened
Reston, VA$2,589/mo83.4%severely rent-burdened
Arlington, VA$2,680/mo86.3%severely rent-burdened
McLean, VA$2,732/mo88%severely rent-burdened
Dumfries, VA$2,901/mo93.4%severely rent-burdened
Ashburn, VA$2,934/mo94.5%severely rent-burdened
Burke, VA$3,003/mo96.7%severely rent-burdened
Gainesville, VA$3,021/mo97.3%severely rent-burdened
Springfield, VA$3,052/mo98.3%severely rent-burdened
Purcellville, VA$3,063/mo98.6%severely rent-burdened
Oakton, VA$3,066/mo98.7%severely rent-burdened
Chantilly, VA$3,108/mo100.1%severely rent-burdened
Aldie, VA$3,156/mo101.6%severely rent-burdened
Vienna, VA$3,320/mo106.9%severely rent-burdened
Haymarket, VA$3,554/mo114.5%severely rent-burdened
Fort Hunt, VA$4,274/mo137.6%severely rent-burdened
Great Falls, VA$4,911/mo158.2%severely rent-burdened
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).