Last updated 2026-07-10 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Real jobs and low rents far from the pricey Northern Virginia and DC suburbs.
1. Roanoke: Best value overall
2. Lynchburg: Cheapest mid-size city
3. Danville: Cheapest overall
4. Bristol: Best for the mountains
5. Harrisonburg: Best college-town value
6. Petersburg: Best near Richmond
7. Staunton: Best small-town charm
8. Salem: Best for families on a budget
Virginia gets expensive fast near DC, but the rest of the state is a different story. Move south and west and you find college towns, river cities, and mountain valleys where housing costs a fraction of the northern suburbs. Here are the 8 cheapest places to live in Virginia, ranked.