The 20 most affordable cities in Virginia to buy a house

Homeownership is fundamental to the American dream. It offers wealth, security, community, and countless other benefits. Yet for many Virginia residents, the dream feels increasingly out of reach—even as incomes rise and mortgage rates fall. Near-record prices have made homes hard to come by and often even harder to afford, leaving buyers and sellers stuck and younger generations priced out.

But affordable pockets still exist. In cities across the state, residents can comfortably spend around 30% of their income or less on housing, which is widely considered the affordable threshold.

To find out where these cities are, Redfin Real Estate ranked the most affordable cities in Virginia, based on their local payment to income ratios. All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most affordable cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.

#1. Mechanicsville, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 31.3%
- Median sale price: $398,399
- Median household income: $97,569
- Income needed to buy: $101,736
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,543
- See homes for sale in Mechanicsville on Redfin.com

#2. Hampton, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 32.9%
- Median sale price: $290,902
- Median household income: $67,758
- Income needed to buy: $74,285
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,857
- See homes for sale in Hampton on Redfin.com

#3. Dale City, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 34.9%
- Median sale price: $515,926
- Median household income: $113,245
- Income needed to buy: $131,748
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,294
- See homes for sale in Dale City on Redfin.com

#4. Suffolk, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 35.6%
- Median sale price: $418,524
- Median household income: $90,089
- Income needed to buy: $106,876
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,672
- See homes for sale in Suffolk on Redfin.com

#5. Linton Hall, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 35.8%
- Median sale price: $799,367
- Median household income: $170,989
- Income needed to buy: $204,129
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,103
- See homes for sale in Linton Hall on Redfin.com

#6. Chesapeake, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 37.1%
- Median sale price: $456,641
- Median household income: $94,189
- Income needed to buy: $116,609
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,915
- See homes for sale in Chesapeake on Redfin.com

#7. Burke, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 37.3%
- Median sale price: $870,873
- Median household income: $179,063
- Income needed to buy: $222,389
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,560
- See homes for sale in Burke on Redfin.com

#8. Woodbridge, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 38.3%
- Median sale price: $501,192
- Median household income: $100,370
- Income needed to buy: $127,986
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,200
- See homes for sale in Woodbridge on Redfin.com

#9. Sterling, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 38.7%
- Median sale price: $635,460
- Median household income: $125,753
- Income needed to buy: $162,273
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,057
- See homes for sale in Sterling on Redfin.com

#10. Tuckahoe, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 39.4%
- Median sale price: $495,224
- Median household income: $96,188
- Income needed to buy: $126,462
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,162
- See homes for sale in Tuckahoe on Redfin.com

#11. Short Pump, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 39.5%
- Median sale price: $681,701
- Median household income: $132,194
- Income needed to buy: $174,081
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,352
- See homes for sale in Short Pump on Redfin.com

#12. Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 39.7%
- Median sale price: $469,791
- Median household income: $90,685
- Income needed to buy: $119,967
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,999
- See homes for sale in Virginia Beach on Redfin.com

#13. Manassas, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 39.9%
- Median sale price: $614,674
- Median household income: $117,919
- Income needed to buy: $156,965
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,924
- See homes for sale in Manassas on Redfin.com

#14. Lake Ridge, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 41.9%
- Median sale price: $661,298
- Median household income: $120,844
- Income needed to buy: $168,871
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,222
- See homes for sale in Lake Ridge on Redfin.com

#15. South Riding, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 42.2%
- Median sale price: $1,051,309
- Median household income: $190,701
- Income needed to buy: $268,465
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $6,712
- See homes for sale in South Riding on Redfin.com

#16. Springfield, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 45.0%
- Median sale price: $726,683
- Median household income: $123,691
- Income needed to buy: $185,568
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,639
- See homes for sale in Springfield on Redfin.com

#17. West Falls Church, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 46.2%
- Median sale price: $791,676
- Median household income: $131,236
- Income needed to buy: $202,165
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,054
- See homes for sale in West Falls Church on Redfin.com

#18. Centreville, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 47.0%
- Median sale price: $881,998
- Median household income: $143,704
- Income needed to buy: $225,230
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,631
- See homes for sale in Centreville on Redfin.com

#19. Ashburn, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 47.8%
- Median sale price: $949,157
- Median household income: $152,094
- Income needed to buy: $242,379
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $6,059
- See homes for sale in Ashburn on Redfin.com

#20. Leesburg, Virginia
- Payment to income ratio: 50.2%
- Median sale price: $922,465
- Median household income: $140,668
- Income needed to buy: $235,563
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $5,889
- See homes for sale in Leesburg on Redfin.com