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.
Find Out: How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Every State?
Read Next: How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires — and How You Can, Too
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.
Trending Now: Suze Orman’s Secret to a Wealthy Retirement–Have You Made This Money Move?
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
Explore More: Here’s How Much You Need To Earn To Be ‘Rich’ in Every State
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
