Cost of living in Lexington research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Lexington is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Lexington is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Lexington is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Lexington ranks as the #47 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Lexington ranks as the #3,063 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Lexington is $349,977.
The median income in Lexington is $89,598.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Lexington has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Lexington has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Lexington ranks as #47 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Lexington ranks as the #143 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Lexington, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Lexington. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Lexington is 96.
The Groceries index in Lexington is 97.
The Health index in Lexington is 102.
The Housing index in Lexington is 119.
The Transportation index in Lexington is 89.
The Utilities index in Lexington is 114.
| Living Expense | Lexington | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 96 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 102 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 119 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 89 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 114 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Lexington is $349,977.
The Median Rent in Lexington is $985.
The Median Income in Lexington is $89,598.
The Home Value To Income in Lexington is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Lexington is 0.13x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Lexington. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lynchburg, VA has a cost of living index of 93, 0.9x Lexington.
Cave Spring, VA has a cost of living index of 106, 1.0x Lexington.
Staunton, VA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.0x Lexington.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Lexington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynchburg, VA | 79,255 | 93 | 0.9x |
| Cave Spring, VA | 26,014 | 106 | 1.0x |
| Staunton, VA | 25,765 | 99 | 1.0x |
| Salem, VA | 25,477 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Waynesboro, VA | 22,574 | 97 | 0.9x |
| Hollins, VA | 17,005 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Stuarts Draft, VA | 11,920 | 104 | 1.0x |
| Madison Heights, VA | 10,398 | 92 | 0.9x |
| Vinton, VA | 8,038 | 95 | 0.9x |
| Buena Vista, VA | 6,612 | 91 | 0.9x |