If your retirement requirements involve hiking through the Appalachian Mountains, soaking up the sun at Virginia Beach, and paying less in taxes, then Virginia is for you.
That’s right. Virginia is not only for lovers. It’s also for people looking to spend their retirement years in safe, affordable cities with plenty to do.
To determine Virginia’s best places to retire, we looked at several important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent, and the distance to the closest national airport for every place with over 10,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 37 cities.
The competition for Virginia’s best place to retire was fierce. It’s not lost on us that many cities on this list are also the state’s safest places and some of the best places in Virginia to raise a family. And there must be something super special about Poquoson and Falls Church.
They keep showing up on all of Virginia’s best of the best lists.
$808 median rent · $46,727 median income · #2 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Martinsville city, Virginia
Martinsville is an independent city near the southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,821. It is the county seat of Henry County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Martinsville with Henry County for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,418 median rent · $83,331 median income · #23 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Fauquier County, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,611 at the 2010 census, up from 6,670 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2015 was 9,897. Warrenton is the county seat of Fauquier County. It is at the junction of U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 29, and U.S. Route 211. The town is in the Piedmont region of Virginia, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The well-known Airlie Conference Center is 3 miles north of Warrenton, and the historic Vint Hill Farms military facility is 9 miles east. Fauquier Hospital is located in the town. Surrounded by Virginia wine and horse country, Warrenton is a popular destination outside Washington, D.C.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,024 median rent · $65,581 median income · #6 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Staunton city, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,746. In Virginia, independent cities are separate jurisdictions from the counties that surround them, so the government offices of Augusta County are in Verona, which is contiguous to Staunton.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,106 median rent · $54,729 median income · #9 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Hopewell city, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city within Prince George County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,591. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Hopewell with Prince George County for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$836 median rent · $44,423 median income · #3 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Danville city, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,055. It is bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It hosts the Danville Braves baseball club of the Appalachian League.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,707 median rent · $120,972 median income · #29 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Poquoson city, Virginia
Poquoson is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,150. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Poquoson with surrounding York County for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$2,190 median rent · $143,262 median income · #35 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Falls Church city, Virginia
Falls Church is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,332. The estimated population in 2015 was 13,892. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Falls Church has the lowest level of poverty of any independent city or county in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,407 median rent · $75,604 median income · #21 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Williamsburg city, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,068. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 14,691.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,135 median rent · $64,838 median income · #10 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Warren County, Virginia
Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 14,440 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,020 median rent · $59,994 median income · #5 cheapest rent in Virginia
Located in
Waynesboro city, Virginia
Waynesboro, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 21,006.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Virginia’s statewide median.
Virginia statewide median: $93,170
Virginia statewide median: $412,467
On the map
Where to retire in Virginia
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Old Dominion for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Virginia to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Old Dominion — 593 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 37 places from across the state.
For these 37, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 37, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Martinsville, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Virginia.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martinsville | 10.20 | 13,658 | $46,727 | $133,032 | $808 |
| 2 | Warrenton | 12.00 | 10,176 | $83,331 | $681,948 | $1,418 |
| 3 | Staunton | 13.40 | 25,948 | $65,581 | $308,028 | $1,024 |
| 4 | Hopewell | 14.00 | 22,959 | $54,729 | $232,749 | $1,106 |
| 5 | Danville | 15.20 | 42,214 | $44,423 | $156,399 | $836 |
| 6 | Poquoson | 15.40 | 12,639 | $120,972 | $462,480 | $1,707 |
| 7 | Falls Church | 15.60 | 14,710 | $143,262 | $789,604 | $2,190 |
| 8 | Williamsburg | 15.80 | 15,798 | $75,604 | $464,104 | $1,407 |
| 9 | Front Royal | 16.10 | 15,296 | $64,838 | $383,200 | $1,135 |
| 10 | Waynesboro | 16.30 | 22,841 | $59,994 | $312,910 | $1,020 |
| 11 | Vienna | 16.90 | 16,412 | $216,953 | $1,179,673 | $2,391 |
| 12 | Winchester | 17.10 | 27,913 | $63,974 | $399,457 | $1,315 |
| 13 | Bristol | 17.40 | 16,849 | $50,404 | $201,474 | $801 |
| 14 | Leesburg | 17.60 | 49,171 | $145,205 | $865,517 | $2,105 |
| 15 | Virginia Beach | 18.90 | 456,349 | $92,968 | $427,032 | $1,714 |
| 16 | Radford | 19.30 | 16,726 | $57,348 | $261,601 | $1,033 |
| 17 | Petersburg | 19.70 | 33,537 | $50,698 | $245,998 | $1,174 |
| 18 | Harrisonburg | 19.80 | 51,392 | $62,254 | $348,178 | $1,184 |
| 19 | Christiansburg | 19.80 | 22,720 | $77,147 | $304,607 | $1,181 |
| 20 | Newport News | 20.10 | 184,216 | $69,634 | $290,660 | $1,339 |
| 21 | Suffolk | 20.20 | 98,796 | $92,666 | $384,301 | $1,563 |
| 22 | Lynchburg | 20.40 | 79,497 | $57,947 | $262,101 | $1,073 |
| 23 | Manassas Park | 20.40 | 16,798 | $103,250 | $462,197 | $2,146 |
| 24 | Portsmouth | 20.50 | 97,190 | $60,491 | $260,462 | $1,300 |
| 25 | Hampton | 20.60 | 137,557 | $69,621 | $275,341 | $1,427 |
| 26 | Colonial Heights | 20.60 | 18,352 | $76,505 | $294,925 | $1,234 |
| 27 | Roanoke | 20.70 | 98,355 | $55,378 | $277,113 | $996 |
| 28 | Norfolk | 20.80 | 233,596 | $66,109 | $306,227 | $1,321 |
| 29 | Chesapeake | 21.30 | 252,583 | $95,373 | $420,756 | $1,586 |
| 30 | Alexandria | 21.60 | 156,976 | $119,681 | $676,205 | $2,089 |
| 31 | Culpeper | 21.80 | 20,794 | $94,721 | $451,495 | $1,416 |
| 32 | Richmond | 22.90 | 229,359 | $64,587 | $369,646 | $1,372 |
| 33 | Herndon | 23.30 | 24,672 | $148,000 | $740,680 | $2,259 |
| 34 | Charlottesville | 23.40 | 45,437 | $74,824 | $515,217 | $1,540 |
| 35 | Fredericksburg | 24.00 | 28,873 | $86,071 | $480,265 | $1,619 |
| 36 | Blacksburg | 24.90 | 45,446 | $50,182 | $420,779 | $1,359 |
| 37 | Manassas | 25.00 | 42,976 | $113,590 | $557,119 | $1,850 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 37 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Virginia Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Virginia goes to Martinsville.
The best places to retire in Virginia are Martinsville, Warrenton, Staunton, Hopewell, Danville, Poquoson, Falls Church, Williamsburg, Front Royal, and Waynesboro.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley.
