How many households in Virginia spend too much on housing?
Updated annually
About 1.01M in 2024. That's 30.1% of all Virginia households. These households spent at least 30% of their total income on rent or mortgage payments and utilities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households that spend more than 30% of their income on housing to be cost-burdened. Cost-burdened households may have less money for other necessities such as food, healthcare, or savings.
1.01M
Virginia households were cost burdened in 2024
30.1%
of Virginia households were cost burdened in 2024
The number of cost-burdened households in Virginia increased from 973,800 in 2014 to 1.01M in 2024. Cost burden considers both household income and housing costs, so factors affecting either of these can influence the number of burdened households. For example:
- Changes in wages, employment status, or the number of people in a household can impact household income.
- Changes in housing supply/demand or interest rates can affect costs.
A growing or declining US population can also affect the number of cost-burdened households. To counteract this, USAFacts analyzed the percentages of cost-burdened households rather than just the number. This prevents such population changes from skewing the data.
In 2024, 30.1% of Virginia households were cost burdened, lower than the national average of 33%.
In Virginia, 30.1% of households were cost burdened in 2024.
Share of households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing
Cost burden varies for renters and homeowners. For example, during the Great Recession (2007–2009) unemployment rose, millions of homes entered foreclosure, and rental demand increased. By 2010, cost burden had increased among renters while staying flat among homeowner households.
Since 2014, the proportion of cost-burdened owner households in Virginia has decreased from 23.7% to 21.2% in 2024. Meanwhile, cost burden decreased from 50.2% to 49.3% among renter households. In Virginia, the cost-burdened share of owner households was lower and the cost-burdened share of renter households was lower than the national average in 2024.
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In Virginia, 49.3% of renter households and of owner households were cost burdened in 2024.
Share of renter households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2024
In 2019–2023, the share of owner households in metro areas that were cost burdened was 22.9%. (Metro areas are made up of a city with at least 50,000 people and the economically and socially interconnected counties.) The metro areas with the highest and lowest share of cost-burdened owner households were the Miami, FL area at 33.9% (highest) and Columbus, IN area, at 13% (lowest). Among the metros at least partially in Virginia, the highest and lowest were Virginia Beach, VA area at 24.3% and Blacksburg, VA area at 15%.
Across metro areas, 22.9 of owner households were cost burdened.
Share of owner households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2019–2023
In 2019–2023, the share of renter households in metro areas that were cost burdened was 51%. The metro areas in the US with the highest and lowest share of cost-burdened renter households were the Miami, FL area at 63.1% (highest) and the Sheboygan, WI area, at 31.9% (lowest). In Virginia, the highest and lowest were Virginia Beach, VA area at 52.8% and Harrisonburg, VA area at 42.4%.
Across metro areas, 51% of renter households were cost burdened.
Share of renter households that spent at least 30% of their income on housing, 2019–2023
The difference between the cost-burdened share of owner and renter households was narrowest in Roanoke, VA area, where cost burden was 24.7 percentage points higher among renters than owners, and highest in the Blacksburg, VA area where the gap was 33.5 percentage points. Within Virginia overall, the gap was 28.1 percentage points.
Cost-burdened households, Virginia metro areas (2019–2023)
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Virginia
| 1. | Virginia Beach, VA area | 52.8% |
| 2. | Winchester, VA area | 45.3% |
| 3. | Blacksburg, VA area | 48.5% |
| 4. | Richmond, VA area | 51.6% |
| 5. | Staunton, VA area | 43.7% |
| 6. | Lynchburg, VA area | 44.5% |
| 7. | Washington, DC area | 47.5% |
| 8. | Charlottesville, VA area | 49.8% |
| 9. | Harrisonburg, VA area | 42.4% |
| 10. | Roanoke, VA area | 43.6% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
