Housing decision brief
James City County, VA Housing Market
James City County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
117th lowest home value out of 133 Virginia counties with data | 109th lowest rent out of 133
Median home value
$419,200
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,491/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,624/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
32.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$133/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
Clean
No major county-specific caveat detected.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
0.66% effective property-tax rate is 6% above Virginia county median
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where James City County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $419,200 | $240,900 | $281,900 | 74% pressure74% above Virginia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,491 | $1,043 | $1,163 | 43% pressure43% above Virginia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,624 | $978 | $1,672 | 66% pressure66% above Virginia county median |
Median household income | $107,046 | $66,718 | $74,755 | 60% favorable60% above Virginia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.66% | 0.63% | 1.02% | 6% pressure6% above Virginia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 32.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 14% pressure32.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$47,406
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$37,446
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in James City County is affordable. The median rent is $1,491/month against a median household income of $107,046, putting rent at 16.7% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in James City County pay $1,491/month on average, compared to $1,624/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 8%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $59,640/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $69,600/year. With a median household income of $107,046, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 32.0% of renter households in James City County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
James City County sits 3% less expensive than Chesterfield County ($1,542/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| King George County, VA | $395,900 | $1,426/mo | Same-state comparison near $395,900 home value and $1,426/mo rent. |
| Hanover County, VA | $372,700 | $1,496/mo | Same-state comparison near $372,700 home value and $1,496/mo rent. |
| York County, VA | $411,200 | $1,777/mo | Same-state comparison near $411,200 home value and $1,777/mo rent. |
| Culpeper County, VA | $386,400 | $1,417/mo | Same-state comparison near $386,400 home value and $1,417/mo rent. |
| Albemarle County, VA | $471,000 | $1,623/mo | Same-state comparison near $471,000 home value and $1,623/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- No major county-specific data caveat was detected in the current housing fields.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for James City County
Is James City County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in James City County?
How much income do you need for housing in James City County?
What should I double-check before moving to James City County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.