You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Virginia. Best sururbs in Virginia. Best counties in Virginia.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Old Dominion, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Virginia based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Virginia ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Virginia For 2025
- Belmont Estates
- Pantops
- Hayfield
- Piney Mountain
- Kings Park
- Ravensworth
- Chamberlayne
- Dayton
- Laymantown
- Ruckersville
- Lovettsville
- Haymarket
- Riner
- Rivanna
- Dahlgren
What’s the best small town in Virginia? Belmont Estates is the best small town in Virginia based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Belmont Estates, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Old Dominion check out:
- Best Places To Live In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
The 15 Best Small Towns In Virginia For 2025
1. Belmont Estates
/10
Population: 1,037
Median Income: $95,900 (35th Best)
Median Home Value: $398,000 (23rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
2. Pantops
/10
Population: 4,328
Median Income: $114,107 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $497,000 (15th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
3. Hayfield
/10
Population: 4,252
Median Income: $192,813 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $653,700 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
4. Piney Mountain
/10
Population: 2,478
Median Income: $129,120 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $284,000 (45th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
5. Kings Park
/10
Population: 4,206
Median Income: $171,436 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $623,700 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%
6. Ravensworth
/10
Population: 2,566
Median Income: $163,281 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $668,600 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
7. Chamberlayne
/10
Population: 5,000
Median Income: $102,656 (24th Best)
Median Home Value: $302,500 (40th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
8. Dayton
/10
Population: 2,023
Median Income: $87,763 (45th Best)
Median Home Value: $338,000 (31st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9%
9. Laymantown
/10
Population: 1,843
Median Income: $86,282 (47th Best)
Median Home Value: $276,900 (51st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
10. Ruckersville
/10
Population: 1,314
Median Income: $98,243 (30th Best)
Median Home Value: $376,300 (25th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
11. Lovettsville
/10
Population: 2,697
Median Income: $141,042 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $526,600 (13th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%
12. Haymarket
/10
Population: 1,591
Median Income: $174,306 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $563,600 (11th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
13. Riner
/10
Population: 1,037
Median Income: $87,230 (46th Best)
Median Home Value: $353,000 (28th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
14. Rivanna
/10
Population: 2,258
Median Income: $140,903 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $787,300 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 8.6%
15. Dahlgren
/10
Population: 3,417
Median Income: $106,071 (22nd Best)
Median Home Value: $383,400 (24th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Virginia
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Virginia possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 168 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 168, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Virginia. Top of that list — Belmont Estates.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Virginia.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Virginia are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Virginia are Belmont Estates, Pantops, Hayfield, Piney Mountain, Kings Park, Ravensworth, Chamberlayne, Dayton, Laymantown, and Ruckersville.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Virginia:
- Amelia Court House
- Craigsville
- Saltville
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
Best Small Towns In Virginia
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belmont Estates, VA | 1,037 | $95,900 | 0.0% | |
| 2 | Pantops, VA | 4,328 | $114,107 | 3.6% | |
| 3 | Hayfield, VA | 4,252 | $192,813 | 3.4% | |
| 4 | Piney Mountain, VA | 2,478 | $129,120 | 0.0% | |
| 5 | Kings Park, VA | 4,206 | $171,436 | 2.6% | |
| 6 | Ravensworth, VA | 2,566 | $163,281 | 5.2% | |
| 7 | Chamberlayne, VA | 5,000 | $102,656 | 3.4% | |
| 8 | Dayton, VA | 2,023 | $87,763 | 2.9% | |
| 9 | Laymantown, VA | 1,843 | $86,282 | 0.0% | |
| 10 | Ruckersville, VA | 1,314 | $98,243 | 1.4% | |
| 11 | Lovettsville, VA | 2,697 | $141,042 | 1.3% | |
| 12 | Haymarket, VA | 1,591 | $174,306 | 3.3% | |
| 13 | Riner, VA | 1,037 | $87,230 | 0.0% | |
| 14 | Rivanna, VA | 2,258 | $140,903 | 8.6% | |
| 15 | Dahlgren, VA | 3,417 | $106,071 | 4.0% | |
| 16 | Cloverdale, VA | 3,095 | $71,929 | 3.2% | |
| 17 | Oak Grove, VA | 2,452 | $193,526 | 1.7% | |
| 18 | Massanutten, VA | 2,215 | $106,944 | 1.4% | |
| 19 | Arcola, VA | 2,858 | $133,992 | 2.2% | |
| 20 | Nellysford, VA | 1,623 | $133,036 | 0.0% | |
| 21 | Occoquan, VA | 1,089 | $142,083 | 4.8% | |
| 22 | Fairlawn, VA | 2,555 | $67,549 | 3.6% | |
| 23 | Berryville, VA | 4,667 | $100,547 | 2.2% | |
| 24 | West Point, VA | 3,439 | $83,475 | 0.5% | |
| 25 | Lake Land’or, VA | 3,581 | $105,900 | 2.9% | |
| 26 | East Lexington, VA | 2,020 | $70,500 | 0.0% | |
| 27 | Blue Ridge, VA | 3,112 | $83,113 | 3.2% | |
| 28 | Weyers Cave, VA | 2,243 | $66,882 | 0.0% | |
| 29 | University Center, VA | 4,107 | $112,000 | 6.0% | |
| 30 | Union Hall, VA | 1,468 | $95,556 | 1.8% | |
| 31 | Daleville, VA | 3,166 | $99,028 | 8.3% | |
| 32 | Mason Neck, VA | 2,059 | $189,688 | 2.4% | |
| 33 | Apple Mountain Lake, VA | 1,801 | $127,321 | 1.0% | |
| 34 | Broadway, VA | 4,221 | $61,685 | 2.4% | |
| 35 | Lake Wilderness, VA | 3,255 | $115,781 | 4.3% | |
| 36 | Gloucester Courthouse, VA | 3,509 | $88,493 | 1.3% | |
| 37 | Amherst, VA | 2,124 | $71,313 | 1.4% | |
| 38 | Mount Hermon, VA | 4,326 | $82,986 | 4.6% | |
| 39 | Verona, VA | 4,274 | $68,319 | 1.0% | |
| 40 | North Shore, VA | 3,708 | $107,235 | 4.9% | |
| 41 | Wattsville, VA | 1,425 | $66,677 | 1.2% | |
| 42 | Bull Run Mountain Estates, VA | 1,582 | $195,781 | 6.8% | |
| 43 | Glade Spring, VA | 2,224 | $76,736 | 2.0% | |
| 44 | Cape Charles, VA | 1,278 | $51,250 | 7.9% | |
| 45 | Lake Holiday, VA | 2,059 | $100,341 | 2.4% | |
| 46 | Emory, VA | 1,135 | $62,500 | 9.2% | |
| 47 | Chincoteague, VA | 3,300 | $62,292 | 8.3% | |
| 48 | Chatmoss, VA | 1,503 | $96,339 | 0.0% | |
| 49 | Warsaw, VA | 2,324 | $83,594 | 1.8% | |
| 50 | Enon, VA | 4,035 | $79,100 | 4.9% | |
| 51 | Southern Gateway, VA | 2,224 | $94,383 | 3.7% | |
| 52 | Lebanon, VA | 3,133 | $57,578 | 0.0% | |
| 53 | Lake Caroline, VA | 2,708 | $88,222 | 0.0% | |
| 54 | Maurertown, VA | 1,138 | $89,375 | 0.4% | |
| 55 | Onancock, VA | 1,323 | $53,750 | 8.0% | |
| 56 | Penhook, VA | 1,253 | $99,176 | 1.0% | |
| 57 | Stephens City, VA | 2,338 | $94,250 | 2.4% | |
| 58 | Prince George, VA | 2,066 | $71,831 | 0.0% | |
| 59 | Gordonsville, VA | 1,527 | $70,179 | 1.9% | |
| 60 | King George, VA | 4,833 | $92,452 | 4.5% | |
| 61 | Narrows, VA | 2,064 | $61,894 | 1.7% | |
| 62 | Brightwood, VA | 1,436 | $90,208 | 3.7% | |
| 63 | Westlake Corner, VA | 1,824 | $74,078 | 0.0% | |
| 64 | Basye, VA | 1,416 | $69,881 | 0.0% | |
| 65 | Grottoes, VA | 2,926 | $84,508 | 4.8% | |
| 66 | Rushmere, VA | 1,087 | $76,429 | 3.6% | |
| 67 | Cluster Springs, VA | 1,038 | $64,250 | 0.0% | |
| 68 | Bracey, VA | 1,243 | $68,333 | 5.7% | |
| 69 | Middl, VA | 1,634 | $57,175 | 1.1% | |
| 70 | Ridgeway, VA | 1,082 | $60,938 | 1.3% | |
| 71 | Riverdale, VA | 1,129 | $61,779 | 0.0% | |
| 72 | Orange, VA | 5,000 | $68,833 | 6.3% | |
| 73 | Captains Cove, VA | 1,676 | $97,880 | 10.5% | |
| 74 | Dooms, VA | 1,360 | $59,196 | 0.0% | |
| 75 | Luray, VA | 4,836 | $55,802 | 5.2% | |
| 76 | Rustburg, VA | 1,276 | $70,771 | 7.6% | |
| 77 | Chatham, VA | 1,535 | $54,485 | 3.3% | |
| 78 | Merrimac, VA | 2,955 | $55,202 | 3.0% | |
| 79 | Blairs, VA | 1,001 | $47,262 | 0.0% | |
| 80 | Gate City, VA | 1,939 | $37,188 | 2.3% | |
| 81 | Loch Lomond, VA | 4,460 | $109,873 | 7.4% | |
| 82 | Benns Church, VA | 1,443 | $69,598 | 6.1% | |
| 83 | Twin Lakes, VA | 1,794 | $67,012 | 0.0% | |
| 84 | Chase City, VA | 2,530 | $51,840 | 0.7% | |
| 85 | Pembroke, VA | 1,130 | $57,841 | 0.4% | |
| 86 | Clarksville, VA | 1,723 | $62,969 | 4.9% | |
| 87 | Elkton, VA | 2,973 | $61,385 | 1.8% | |
| 88 | Halifax, VA | 1,348 | $56,111 | 5.7% | |
| 89 | Chilhowie, VA | 2,462 | $53,250 | 1.9% | |
| 90 | Louisa, VA | 2,249 | $55,202 | 3.1% | |
| 91 | Dublin, VA | 2,671 | $61,635 | 2.9% | |
| 92 | Matoaca, VA | 2,448 | $57,445 | 6.7% | |
| 93 | Bassett, VA | 1,020 | $41,992 | 3.7% | |
| 94 | Wise, VA | 2,940 | $44,234 | 6.4% | |
| 95 | South Hill, VA | 4,737 | $58,633 | 4.0% | |
| 96 | Kenbridge, VA | 1,348 | $57,941 | 0.2% | |
| 97 | Harriston, VA | 1,252 | $91,625 | 0.0% | |
| 98 | Central Garage, VA | 1,364 | $74,911 | 5.2% | |
| 99 | Passapatanzy, VA | 1,015 | $114,792 | 9.2% | |
| 100 | Rural Retreat, VA | 1,614 | $60,114 | 1.9% |