Petersburg, VA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Petersburg, VA Summary

Cost of living in Petersburg 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 Petersburg 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 Petersburg is 94, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Petersburg is 0.9x lower than the national average.

  • Petersburg ranks as the #22 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.

  • Petersburg ranks as the #1,806 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Petersburg is $239,486.

  • The median income in Petersburg is $50,741.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
94
Petersburg's Overall Cost Of Living
0.9x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Petersburg, VA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Petersburg has an overall cost of living index of 94, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Virginia, Petersburg has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Virginia's index of 110.

The standard of living in Petersburg ranks as #22 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Petersburg ranks as the #168 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.

For more reading on life in Petersburg, check out:

22 out of 190
In Virginia
1,806 out of 6,489
In America

Petersburg Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Petersburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Petersburg is 102.

  • The Groceries index in Petersburg is 100.

  • The Health index in Petersburg is 94.

  • The Housing index in Petersburg is 74.

  • The Transportation index in Petersburg is 101.

  • The Utilities index in Petersburg is 104.

Living Expense Petersburg Virginia National Average
Overall 94 110 100
Services 102 101 100
Groceries 100 99 100
Health 94 98 100
Housing 74 130 100
Transportation 101 94 100
Utilities 104 104 100
For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:
Petersburg Cost of Living Vs. VA

Petersburg, VA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 Petersburg is $239,486.

  • The Median Rent in Petersburg is $1,132.

  • The Median Income in Petersburg is $50,741.

  • The Home Value To Income in Petersburg is 4.7x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Petersburg is 0.27x.

Statistic Petersburg Virginia United States
Median Home Value $239,486 $404,962 $303,400
Median Rent $1,132 $1,514 $1,348
Median Income $50,741 $90,974 $78,538
Home Value To Income 4.7x 4.5x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.27x 0.2x 0.21x
$239,486
Median Home Value
$1,132
Median Rent
$50,741
Median Income

Petersburg, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Petersburg Services Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Petersburg Virginia
Shampoo $1.26 $1.28
Movie $13.31 $12.13
Bowling $24.17 $18
Haircut $20.0 $24.26
Beauty Salon $54.17 $45.56

Detailed Petersburg Groceries Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Petersburg Virginia
Ground Beef $5.54 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.44 $1.57
Milk $4.63 $4.67
Potatoes $5.27 $4.93
Pizza $12.72 $12.09
Beer $10.64 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.72 $3.7

Detailed Petersburg Health Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Petersburg Virginia
Optometrist $95.44 $125.68
Doctor $122.83 $135.78
Dentist $109.67 $113.29

Detailed Petersburg Transportation Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Petersburg Virginia
Gasoline $3.27 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.0 $59.92

Detailed Petersburg Utilities Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Petersburg Virginia
All Electricity $227.22 $193.99
Phone $185.33 $192.25

Petersburg SnackAbility

3
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
4/10
Housing
6
Affordability
6
Diversity
8
Safety
4
Amenities
8.5
Education
6
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Petersburg

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Petersburg. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Chester, VA has a cost of living index of 109, 1.2x Petersburg.

  • Hopewell, VA has a cost of living index of 94, 1.0x Petersburg.

  • Meadowbrook, VA has a cost of living index of 102, 1.1x Petersburg.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Petersburg
Chester, VA 23,519 109 1.2x
Hopewell, VA 22,944 94 1.0x
Meadowbrook, VA 20,383 102 1.1x
Colonial Heights, VA 18,210 101 1.1x
Bellwood, VA 8,489 97 1.0x
Fort Lee, VA 8,318 124 1.3x
Bensley, VA 5,819 97 1.0x
Ettrick, VA 5,760 98 1.0x

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