The cost of living in Virginia is, overall, on par with the national average, according to RentCafe. But there are areas where the cost of living is higher. For example, the cost of healthcare is 1% higher, the cost of housing is 2% higher and the monthly cost of utilities is 3% higher. Additionally, some cities in Virginia are far pricier than others; for example, the cost of living in Arlington is 36% higher than the national average.
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No matter which state you live in, getting by on minimum wage is challenging. The 2025 minimum wage in Virginia is $12.41. If you have a standard 40-hour workweek, your annual earnings would be $25,728. In a country where the median annual salary is $66,621.80, that’s just not much to work with. Frugality will be critical and you’ll need to live in an exceptionally affordable city. For those on their own, you’ll likely fall short, but if you’re partnered up with someone else who makes minimum wage, it’s doable.
A new study from GOBankingRates analyzed cities in Virginia to find the places where a couple can live on minimum wage incomes.
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12. Bluefield
Livability: 59
Single-family home average value: $128,099
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $31,492
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$5,680
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $20,133
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11. Bassett
Livability: 67
Single-family home average value: $121,337
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $31,201
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$5,388
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $20,424
10. South Boston
Livability: 75
Single-family home average value: $133,505
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $31,157
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$5,345
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $20,468
9. Clintwood
Livability: 75
Single-family home average value: $111,997
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $31,033
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$5,220
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $20,593
8. Cana
Livability: 65
Single-family home average value: $114,135
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $30,649
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$4,836
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $20,977
7. Saltville
Livability: 70
Single-family home average value: $112,450
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $30,549
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$4,736
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $21,077
6. Lawrenceville
Livability: 66
Single-family home average value: $99,455
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $30,428
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$4,615
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $21,197
5. Norton
Livability: 73
Single-family home average value: $108,660
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $29,876
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$4,063
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $21,750
4. Coeburn
Livability: 64
Single-family home average value: $106,636
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $29,724
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$3,911
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $21,901
3. Richlands
Livability: 67
Single-family home average value: $102,313
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $29,531
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$3,718
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $22,095
2. Pennington Gap
Livability: 59
Single-family home average value: $80,805
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $28,689
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$2,876
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $22,936
1. Raven
Livability: 54
Single-family home average value: $83,664
Total annual cost of living for homeowners: $28,358
Annual leftover savings for one minimum-wage earner: -$2,545
Annual leftover savings for two minimum-wage earners: $23,268
Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed in this article.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities in Virginia to find the places where you can live on minimum wage incomes. First the cities in Virginia were isolated using the U.S. Census’ 2023 5-year American Community Survey, along with the total population, population ages 65 and over, total households, and household median income. The cost of living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and using the national average expenditure costs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost for each city can be calculated. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes for each city. The average single-family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index. Assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated. With the average mortgage and expenditure cost, the total cost of living can be calculated. The minimum wage for Virginia was sourced from the Economic Policy Institute as $12.41, and by assuming the worker works a full 40 hour work week and works 52 weeks a year, the average minimum wage salary can be calculated. The minimum wage salary was also doubled to show what the cost would be like with two minimum wage earners per household. The leftover savings for one and two people were calculated using the average minimum wage salary for one and two people as well as the total cost of living for each city. The cities were sorted to show the highest leftover savings cities. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 23, 2025.
Sources
RentCafe, “Cost of Living in Virginia“
NCSL, “State Minimum Wages”
Social Security Administration, “National Average Wage Index“
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 12 Cities a Couple Can Live On Minimum Wage in Virginia
