Housing decision brief
Prince Edward County, VA Housing Market
Prince Edward County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable 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.
45th lowest home value out of 133 Virginia counties with data | 44th lowest rent out of 133
Median home value
$203,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$898/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$915/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$17/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$203,700 median home value is 15% below Virginia county median
Lower rent
$898/mo is 14% below Virginia county median
What to Check
Lower income base
$55,082 median income is 17% below Virginia county median
Health context
Health score is 43.0 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
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
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- 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 Prince Edward 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. | $203,700 | $240,900 | $281,900 | 15% favorable15% below Virginia county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $898 | $1,043 | $1,163 | 14% favorable14% below Virginia county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $915 | $978 | $1,672 | 6% favorable6% below Virginia county median |
Median household income | $55,082 | $66,718 | $74,755 | 17% pressure17% below Virginia county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.40% | 0.63% | 1.02% | 36% favorable36% below 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
+$19,162
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$15,868
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 Prince Edward County is affordable. The median rent is $898/month against a median household income of $55,082, putting rent at 19.6% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Prince Edward County pay $898/month on average, compared to $915/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 2%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $35,920/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $39,214/year. With a median household income of $55,082, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Prince Edward County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Virginia, Prince Edward County is more affordable than Cumberland County by roughly 6% ($898/mo vs $847/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radford city, VA | $211,700 | $966/mo | Same-state comparison near $211,700 home value and $966/mo rent. |
| Cumberland County, VA | $220,100 | $847/mo | Same-state comparison near $220,100 home value and $847/mo rent. |
| Accomack County, VA | $193,100 | $973/mo | Same-state comparison near $193,100 home value and $973/mo rent. |
| Campbell County, VA | $199,200 | $853/mo | Same-state comparison near $199,200 home value and $853/mo rent. |
| Bath County, VA | $206,000 | $825/mo | Same-state comparison near $206,000 home value and $825/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Prince Edward County
Is Prince Edward County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Prince Edward County?
How much income do you need for housing in Prince Edward County?
What should I double-check before moving to Prince Edward County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.