Rent Affordability for A Software Developer in Virginia

A typical software developer in Virginia earns about $140,872 a year, which supports approximately $3,522 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. 86 of 89 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 3 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕Median rent↕% of income↑Affordability
Martinsville, VA$907/mo7.7%very comfortable
Madison Heights, VA$979/mo8.3%very comfortable
Danville, VA$1,143/mo9.7%very comfortable
Radford, VA$1,253/mo10.7%very comfortable
Lynchburg, VA$1,270/mo10.8%very comfortable
Farmville, VA$1,298/mo11.1%very comfortable
Hopewell, VA$1,322/mo11.3%very comfortable
Roanoke, VA$1,368/mo11.7%very comfortable
Petersburg, VA$1,373/mo11.7%very comfortable
Waynesboro, VA$1,398/mo11.9%very comfortable
Bristol, VA$1,399/mo11.9%very comfortable
Staunton, VA$1,473/mo12.5%very comfortable
Christiansburg, VA$1,553/mo13.2%very comfortable
Salem, VA$1,574/mo13.4%very comfortable
Forest, VA$1,574/mo13.4%very comfortable
South Hill, VA$1,575/mo13.4%very comfortable
Newport News, VA$1,593/mo13.6%very comfortable
Richmond, VA$1,628/mo13.9%very comfortable
Montrose, VA$1,629/mo13.9%very comfortable
Portsmouth, VA$1,642/mo14%very comfortable
Lexington, VA$1,647/mo14%very comfortable
Colonial Heights, VA$1,665/mo14.2%very comfortable
Highland Springs, VA$1,683/mo14.3%very comfortable
Hampton, VA$1,690/mo14.4%very comfortable
Harrisonburg, VA$1,720/mo14.7%very comfortable
Bellwood, VA$1,724/mo14.7%very comfortable
Henrico, VA$1,722/mo14.7%very comfortable
Norfolk, VA$1,749/mo14.9%very comfortable
East Highland Park, VA$1,760/mo15%very comfortable
Winchester, VA$1,768/mo15.1%very comfortable
Fishersville, VA$1,810/mo15.4%very comfortable
Chester, VA$1,829/mo15.6%very comfortable
Powhatan, VA$1,835/mo15.6%very comfortable
Culpeper, VA$1,878/mo16%very comfortable
Blacksburg, VA$1,910/mo16.3%very comfortable
Spotsylvania, VA$1,919/mo16.3%very comfortable
Front Royal, VA$1,944/mo16.6%very comfortable
Carrollton, VA$1,994/mo17%very comfortable
Palmyra, VA$2,000/mo17%very comfortable
Glen Allen, VA$2,022/mo17.2%very comfortable
Suffolk, VA$2,028/mo17.3%very comfortable
Charlottesville, VA$2,029/mo17.3%very comfortable
Midlothian, VA$2,028/mo17.3%very comfortable
Yorktown, VA$2,049/mo17.5%very comfortable
Chesapeake, VA$2,063/mo17.6%very comfortable
Fredericksburg, VA$2,061/mo17.6%very comfortable
Belle Haven, VA$2,074/mo17.7%very comfortable
Williamsburg, VA$2,094/mo17.8%very comfortable
Fort Belvoir, VA$2,092/mo17.8%very comfortable
Virginia Beach, VA$2,098/mo17.9%very comfortable
Manassas Park, VA$2,115/mo18%very comfortable
Huntington, VA$2,111/mo18%very comfortable
Stephens City, VA$2,112/mo18%very comfortable
Manassas, VA$2,135/mo18.2%very comfortable
Woodbridge, VA$2,174/mo18.5%very comfortable
Chesterfield, VA$2,178/mo18.6%very comfortable
Mechanicsville, VA$2,225/mo19%very comfortable
Lincolnia, VA$2,231/mo19%very comfortable
Warrenton, VA$2,237/mo19.1%very comfortable
Alexandria, VA$2,275/mo19.4%very comfortable
Lakeside, VA$2,333/mo19.9%very comfortable
Herndon, VA$2,382/mo20.3%affordable
Centreville, VA$2,396/mo20.4%affordable
Prince George, VA$2,395/mo20.4%affordable
Mount Vernon, VA$2,402/mo20.5%affordable
Leesburg, VA$2,431/mo20.7%affordable
Stafford, VA$2,436/mo20.8%affordable
Fairfax, VA$2,456/mo20.9%affordable
Annandale, VA$2,482/mo21.1%affordable
Falls Church, VA$2,534/mo21.6%affordable
Sterling, VA$2,560/mo21.8%affordable
Lorton, VA$2,562/mo21.8%affordable
Smithfield, VA$2,554/mo21.8%affordable
Reston, VA$2,589/mo22.1%affordable
Arlington, VA$2,680/mo22.8%affordable
McLean, VA$2,732/mo23.3%affordable
Dumfries, VA$2,901/mo24.7%affordable
Ashburn, VA$2,934/mo25%affordable
Burke, VA$3,003/mo25.6%affordable
Gainesville, VA$3,021/mo25.7%affordable
Springfield, VA$3,052/mo26%affordable
Oakton, VA$3,066/mo26.1%affordable
Purcellville, VA$3,063/mo26.1%affordable
Chantilly, VA$3,108/mo26.5%affordable
Aldie, VA$3,156/mo26.9%affordable
Vienna, VA$3,320/mo28.3%affordable
Haymarket, VA$3,554/mo30.3%stretched
Fort Hunt, VA$4,274/mo36.4%stretched
Great Falls, VA$4,911/mo41.8%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).