These Are The 10 Most Expensive Cities In Virginia

Everyone wants a home that mixes affordability with comfort and Virginia does this very well. Families love the Old Dominion’s beaches, midlands, and mountains as tourists before moving here and calling it home.

But before you decide to relocate, you have to do some research into the exact cost of living around the state — and that’s how we’re going to help you.

These are the places in Virginia that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state. After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Virginia:

1. Vienna (Photos)
2. Alexandria (Photos)
3. Purcellville (Photos)
4. Leesburg (Photos)
5. Herndon (Photos)
6. Poquoson (Photos)
7. Fredericksburg (Photos)
8. Warrenton (Photos)
9. Virginia Beach (Photos)
10. Charlottesville (Photos)

If you’re wondering, Martinsville is the most affordable city in Virginia.

Read on to see why these places cost so much more than average. Or check out the most affordable places in Virginia.

How We Determined The Most Expensive Cities In Virginia

There are basic necessities that you have to buy no matter where in the country you live. Those things include:

• Housing
• Food
• Gas
• Health Insurance
• Utilities
• Transportation

You can then compare the cost of these things in each of the places in Virginia to figure out which is the most expensive.

For reference, the United State averages a cost of living 100. A score below 100 means that the city has a below average cost of living while a score over 100 has a high cost of living for that category.

So we used that cost of living index in order to rank all of the 56 places in Virginia that have more than 5,000 people.

The city with the highest cost of living index, Vienna, rank as being the most expensive.

1. Vienna

Population: 16,173
Services Index: 92
Groceries Index: 113
Housing Index: 292
Healthcare Index: 86
Transportation Index: 108
Utilities Index: 101

2. Alexandria

Population: 146,422
Services Index: 98
Groceries Index: 112
Housing Index: 232
Healthcare Index: 94
Transportation Index: 121
Utilities Index: 98

3. Purcellville

Population: 8,350
Services Index: 108
Groceries Index: 100
Housing Index: 197
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 94
Utilities Index: 94

4. Leesburg

Population: 46,211
Services Index: 92
Groceries Index: 113
Housing Index: 195
Healthcare Index: 86
Transportation Index: 108
Utilities Index: 101

5. Herndon

Population: 24,141
Services Index: 92
Groceries Index: 113
Housing Index: 185
Healthcare Index: 86
Transportation Index: 108
Utilities Index: 101

6. Poquoson

Population: 12,103
Services Index: 104
Groceries Index: 91
Housing Index: 163
Healthcare Index: 109
Transportation Index: 104
Utilities Index: 85

7. Fredericksburg

Population: 26,632
Services Index: 98
Groceries Index: 112
Housing Index: 161
Healthcare Index: 94
Transportation Index: 121
Utilities Index: 98

8. Warrenton

Population: 9,774
Services Index: 108
Groceries Index: 100
Housing Index: 156
Healthcare Index: 99
Transportation Index: 94
Utilities Index: 94

9. Virginia Beach

Population: 445,623
Services Index: 104
Groceries Index: 91
Housing Index: 147
Healthcare Index: 109
Transportation Index: 104
Utilities Index: 85

10. Charlottesville

Population: 44,505
Services Index: 104
Groceries Index: 98
Housing Index: 144
Healthcare Index: 105
Transportation Index: 98
Utilities Index: 98

Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck

Well there you have it, the places in Virginia that have the highest cost of living, with Vienna ranking as the most exensive city in the Old Dominion.

If you’re curious, here are the most least expensive cities in Virginia:

1. Martinsville
2. Covington
3. Roanoke

For more Virginia reading , check out:

• 10 Small Towns In Virginia Where You’d Never Want To Live
• These Are The 10 Dumbest Cities In Virginia
• These Are The 10 Worst Places To Live In Virginia

Detailed List Of The Most Expensive Cities In Virginia