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Sandston, VA Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Sandston. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Sandston compared to the state and national averages.

Chris Kolmar
Written by
HomeSnacks
Last updated
2026-06-20

Cost of living in Sandston, Virginia

Cost of living in Sandston 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 Sandston 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:

101 Cost of living index 1.0x higher vs US
#29 Cheapest in Virginia (of 188)
#2,614 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$315,975 Median home value
$1,211 Median rent
$59,238 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Sandston, VA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sandston has an overall cost of living index of 101, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Virginia, Sandston has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Virginia's index of 112.

The standard of living in Sandston ranks as #29 most affordable out of the 188 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Sandston ranks as the #159 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.

For more reading on life in Sandston, check out:

Sandston Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

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

  • The Services index in Sandston is 104.

  • The Groceries index in Sandston is 105.

  • The Health index in Sandston is 91.

  • The Housing index in Sandston is 106.

  • The Transportation index in Sandston is 101.

  • The Utilities index in Sandston is 111.

Living Expense Sandston Virginia National Average
Overall 101 112 100
Services 104 103 100
Groceries 105 104 100
Health 91 131 100
Housing 106 105 100
Transportation 101 105 100
Utilities 111 104 100

Sandston Cost Of Living Compared To Virginia Averages

Services
Sandston 104
Virginia avg 103
Groceries
Sandston 105
Virginia avg 104
Health
Sandston 91
Virginia avg 131
Housing
Sandston 106
Virginia avg 105
Transportation
Sandston 101
Virginia avg 105
Utilities
Sandston 111
Virginia avg 104

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Sandston, VA Housing Cost Breakdown

$315,975Median Home Value
$1,211Median Rent
$59,238Median Income

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 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Sandston is $315,975.

  • The Median Rent in Sandston is $1,211.

  • The Median Income in Sandston is $59,238.

  • The Home Value To Income in Sandston is 5.3x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Sandston is 0.25x.

Statistic Sandston Virginia United States
Median Home Value $315,975 $412,467 $332,700
Median Rent $1,211 $1,579 $1,413
Median Income $59,238 $93,170 $80,734
Home Value To Income 5.3x 4.4x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.2x 0.21x

Sandston, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Sandston Services costs vs. Virginia
Item Sandston 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 Sandston Groceries costs vs. Virginia
Item Sandston 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 Sandston Health costs vs. Virginia
Item Sandston Virginia
Optometrist $95.44 $125.68
Doctor $122.83 $135.78
Dentist $109.67 $113.29
Detailed Sandston Transportation costs vs. Virginia
Item Sandston Virginia
Gasoline $3.27 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.0 $59.92
Detailed Sandston Utilities costs vs. Virginia
Item Sandston Virginia
All Electricity $227.22 $193.99
Phone $185.33 $192.25

Sandston SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 6/10
Housing 8/10
Affordability 6/10
Diversity 9/10
SafetyN/A
Amenities 7/10
Education 4/10
Commute 8/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Sandston

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

  • Richmond, VA has a cost of living index of 112, 1.1x Sandston.

  • Tuckahoe, VA has a cost of living index of 122, 1.2x Sandston.

  • Mechanicsville, VA has a cost of living index of 112, 1.1x Sandston.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Sandston
Richmond, VA 229,359 112 1.1x
Tuckahoe, VA 49,183 122 1.2x
Mechanicsville, VA 38,683 112 1.1x
Short Pump, VA 29,026 135 1.3x
Meadowbrook, VA 20,749 108 1.1x
Laurel, VA 18,721 109 1.1x
Glen Allen, VA 17,551 111 1.1x
Bon Air, VA 16,904 115 1.1x
East Highland Park, VA 15,265 100 1.0x
Highland Springs, VA 14,296 100 1.0x
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