Lawrence vs Lynchburg
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $229,800 in Lynchburg and $292,700 in Lawrence.
- Households earn more in Lawrence ($65,009 vs $57,947 median).
- Lynchburg has the warmer winter: January highs of 46°F vs 38°F.
- Commutes are shorter in Lynchburg (17 vs 20 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Lawrence, KS | Lynchburg, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 96,367 | 81,347 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.5% | +3% |
| People per square mile | 2,784 | 1,663 |
| Median age | 29.3 | 28.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 56% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $65,009 | $57,947 |
| Median home value | $292,700 | $229,800 |
| Home value to income | 4.5× | 4.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,091 | $1,073 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 90.2 | 89.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 71.6 | 63.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,700 | $67,000 |
| Homeowners | 44% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | 5.58% | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.71% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.8 | 16.8 |
| Work from home | 16% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.4% | 5.3% |
| Poverty rate | 17.4% | 18.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 38° / 19° | 46° / 26° |
| July high / low | 89° / 70° | 87° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 39 in | 43 in |
| Snowfall per year | 10 in | 12 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 42 | 27 |
| Nights below freezing | 103 | 94 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 74.8 | 49.3 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +4.8% | +4.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +41.6% | +51.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Lawrence: April and September to October. Lynchburg: April to June and August to October.
Full monthly tables: Lawrence weather by month and Lynchburg weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,700 in Lawrence and $67,000 in Lynchburg. Moving from Lawrence to Lynchburg, you would need about $74,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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