Richmond vs Charlottesville
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $353,000 in Richmond and $486,700 in Charlottesville.
- Households earn more in Charlottesville ($74,824 vs $64,587 median).
- Richmond has the warmer winter: January highs of 48°F vs 44°F.
- Charlottesville gets far more snow: 17 inches a year vs 9.
- Richmond has more scorching days: 45 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 10.
- Richmond is growing faster: +4.7% since 2020 vs -4.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Charlottesville (17 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Richmond, VA | Charlottesville, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 237,257 | 44,388 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.7% | -4.6% |
| People per square mile | 3,959 | 4,333 |
| Median age | 34.7 | 33.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46% | 63% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $64,587 | $74,824 |
| Median home value | $353,000 | $486,700 |
| Home value to income | 5.5× | 6.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,372 | $1,540 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 97.9 | 99.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 99.1 | 107.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,400 | $74,400 |
| Homeowners | 44% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 5.75% | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.77% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.7 | 17.0 |
| Work from home | 20% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.7% | 3.7% |
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 19.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 29° | 44° / 28° |
| July high / low | 90° / 69° | 84° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 46 in | 48 in |
| Snowfall per year | 9 in | 17 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 45 | 10 |
| Nights below freezing | 74 | 73 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Very Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 78.4 | 24.3 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 73% | 81% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.4% | +3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +47.7% | +46.9% |
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: Richmond: April to May and October. Charlottesville: April, June, August and October.
Full monthly tables: Richmond weather by month and Charlottesville weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,400 in Richmond and $74,400 in Charlottesville. Moving from Richmond to Charlottesville, you would need about $76,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Richmond and Charlottesville
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Richmond and Charlottesville.
Which would you pick?
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