Cost of living in Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg is 120, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Williamsburg is 1.2x higher than the national average.
Williamsburg ranks as the #84 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Williamsburg ranks as the #4,411 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Williamsburg is $458,890.
The median income in Williamsburg is $70,206.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Williamsburg has an overall cost of living index of 120, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Williamsburg has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Williamsburg ranks as #84 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Williamsburg ranks as the #106 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Williamsburg, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Williamsburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Williamsburg is 100.
The Groceries index in Williamsburg is 102.
The Health index in Williamsburg is 95.
The Housing index in Williamsburg is 162.
The Transportation index in Williamsburg is 101.
The Utilities index in Williamsburg is 106.
| Living Expense | Williamsburg | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 120 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 100 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 162 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 101 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 106 | 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 Williamsburg is $458,890.
The Median Rent in Williamsburg is $1,361.
The Median Income in Williamsburg is $70,206.
The Home Value To Income in Williamsburg is 6.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Williamsburg is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Williamsburg | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $458,890 | $404,962 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,361 | $1,514 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $70,206 | $90,974 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.5x | 4.5x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Williamsburg | 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 |
| Item | Williamsburg | 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 |
| Item | Williamsburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $95.44 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $122.83 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $109.67 | $113.29 |
| Item | Williamsburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.27 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Williamsburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $227.22 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $185.33 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Williamsburg. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Chesapeake, VA has a cost of living index of 117, 1.0x Williamsburg.
Newport News, VA has a cost of living index of 104, 0.9x Williamsburg.
Suffolk, VA has a cost of living index of 112, 0.9x Williamsburg.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Williamsburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake, VA | 251,153 | 117 | 1.0x |
| Newport News, VA | 184,774 | 104 | 0.9x |
| Suffolk, VA | 96,638 | 112 | 0.9x |
| Mechanicsville, VA | 38,437 | 112 | 0.9x |
| Meadowbrook, VA | 20,383 | 102 | 0.8x |
| Colonial Heights, VA | 18,210 | 101 | 0.8x |
| Poquoson, VA | 12,556 | 124 | 1.0x |
| Gloucester Point, VA | 11,159 | 108 | 0.9x |
| Rockwood, VA | 8,834 | 113 | 0.9x |
| Smithfield, VA | 8,729 | 115 | 1.0x |