Cost of Living in Staunton, VA
Cost of Living in Staunton, VA has an overall index of 87, 13% below the U.S. baseline of 100. The typical home value is $239,300; typical monthly rent is $993; and median household income is $62,586.
Cost index: committed city housing/rent inputs and BEA 2024 metro-area price parities. Home value: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. Rent: Census ACS 2023 fallback place estimate. A place-level signal, not a personal affordability decision or financial recommendation.
Rent and home prices are comparatively balanced with local income. This describes the local market, not your household.
Can your household carry the housing cost?
Start with four decisions. Open advanced assumptions only when you need to replace the local defaults.
Enter your income and housing plan to see a household-specific estimate.
Compare Staunton with another place.
Search one destination and see which housing and local-cost categories change most.
Inspect the numbers when you need them.
Other Virginia cities with a useful tradeoff.
Recommendations require usable housing and income data and exclude very small places for a city of this scale.
Frequently asked questions about Staunton
Living in Staunton
Is Staunton, VA an affordable place to live?+
Yes — everyday expenses in Staunton run about 13% below the US average (Cost Index: 87). Housing is especially affordable: the median home is valued around $239,300, compared to the $303,400 national median. Monthly rent is $993, versus $1,348 nationally.
How does Staunton fit a household housing budget?+
Start with housing. Typical monthly rent is $993, while local median household income is $62,586. That implies a rent-burden proxy of about 19% before utilities and other costs. Use that as a planning signal for whether the place looks manageable under your own household assumptions.
How much are taxes in Staunton, VA?+
Virginia uses a progressive model; 5.75% is top marginal-rate context. Applying the 0.82% state-level effective owner-occupied proxy to a home worth $239,300 gives a planning estimate near $1,962 per year; it is not a city, county, parcel, or individual tax bill. State plus average local sales-tax context is around 5.75%.
How much does it cost to rent in Staunton, VA?+
The typical monthly rent in Staunton is around $993. That's roughly 26% lower than the $1,348 national median. For comparison, the median home value here is $239,300, so buyers should also factor in mortgage payments, property taxes, and insurance.
How much does a house cost in Staunton, VA?+
The typical home value in Staunton is $239,300. With 20% down and the committed 6.11% national 30-year fixed benchmark as of 2026-03-12, principal and interest are roughly $1,161/month before property tax and insurance. This is a planning estimate, not a local lender quote. About 59% of residents here own their homes.
Are groceries and utilities expensive in Staunton?+
Grocery prices in Staunton are about average compared to the rest of the US (index: 97, where 100 is the national average). Utility bills (electricity, gas, water) are about typical (index: 90). Overall, these everyday costs shouldn't cause major surprises if you're moving from another similarly-sized US city.
What is Staunton, VA like to live in?+
Staunton is a small town with a population of about 25,765. The median age of residents is 41, which is close to the national median. The local poverty rate is 12.56%, near the national average of 12.4%.