Housing decision brief
Newport News city, VA Housing Market
Newport News city 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.
68th lowest home value out of 133 Virginia counties with data | 95th lowest rent out of 133
Median home value
$243,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,285/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,409/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$124/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
1.03% effective property-tax rate is 64% above Virginia county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Newport News city 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. | $243,300 | $240,900 | $281,900 | Near state median1% above Virginia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,285 | $1,043 | $1,163 | 23% pressure23% above Virginia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,409 | $978 | $1,672 | 44% pressure44% above Virginia county median |
Median household income | $66,718 | $66,718 | $74,755 | Near state medianAt the Virginia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.03% | 0.63% | 1.02% | 64% pressure64% above Virginia county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 7% pressure30.00% 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
+$15,318
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$6,332
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Newport News city offers affordable rental housing at a median of $1,285/month , about 23.1% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $1,285/month rent versus $1,409/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $124/month cheaper , a 9% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $51,400/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $60,386/year. With a median household income of $66,718, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Newport News city are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Virginia, Newport News city is less affordable than Hampton city by roughly 5% ($1,285/mo vs $1,346/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton city, VA | $234,100 | $1,346/mo | Same-state comparison near $234,100 home value and $1,346/mo rent. |
| Norfolk city, VA | $271,900 | $1,246/mo | Same-state comparison near $271,900 home value and $1,246/mo rent. |
| Portsmouth city, VA | $229,400 | $1,266/mo | Same-state comparison near $229,400 home value and $1,266/mo rent. |
| Salem city, VA | $244,800 | $1,046/mo | Same-state comparison near $244,800 home value and $1,046/mo rent. |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | $246,100 | $1,242/mo | Same-state comparison near $246,100 home value and $1,242/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Newport News city
Is Newport News city affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Newport News city?
How much income do you need for housing in Newport News city?
What should I double-check before moving to Newport News city?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.