City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Luray, VA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Luray - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

4,836
Residents
$55,802
Median income
$243,500
Median home
$924
Median rent (state)

Luray - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Luray places in the 29th percentile for household income and the 53rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

29th
percentile, household income
54th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
53rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Luray, VA

Virginia's Luray is a small town, with 4,836 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $55,802 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.5%. Luray's housing stock carries a median value of $243,500, and the median resident age is 54.9 years. About 19.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 54.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Luray reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1263.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 54.0°F with 44.1 inches of precipitation per year and 18.6 inches of snowfall.

Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Virginia scores 101.1 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $924 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 37.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

4,836 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$55,802 /yr

Poverty 5.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average

How does Luray compare to other US cities?

Where Luray sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 29% higher than other cities
Home value 54% pricier than other cities
Median rent 7% pricier than other cities
Safety 53% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Virginia and the picture shifts: Luray ranks #36 of 117 Virginia cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Luray against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Virginia-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Luray toward the bottom of Virginia's cities

Among the 619 Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Luray ranks #495 - the 20th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Luray only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#387 of 558
31st percentile in Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#495 of 619
20th percentile in Virginia
Median Home Value
#297 of 567
48th percentile in Virginia
Poverty Rate
#304 of 616
50th percentile in Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#390 of 618
36th percentile in Virginia

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Virginia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

29thIncome percentile
53rdSafety percentile

29th percentile nationally for median household income · 53rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Luray's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Luray's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 51 Avg. percentile National median
Luray's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Luray's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$243,500 46th percentile more affordable than 46% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Luray $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Luray, VA Luray, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Luray, VA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Luray, VA median $55,802/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Luray, VA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Luray, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 19.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
4,836
Median Income
$55,802
Median Home Value
$243,500
Median Age
54.9
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Labor force participation
54.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1263.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
41.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1221.8
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
54.0°F
Annual Precipitation
44.1"
Annual Snowfall
18.6"

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
4,800 residents4,820 residents4,840 residents4,860 residents 202020212022202320242025 4,823 residents 4,823 residents ▲ +0.0%
Luray's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.6%
Carpool
11.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.3%
Work from Home
8.6%

Based on 2,246 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Virginia - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Virginia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Virginia state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Luray sits in

Cost of Living Index
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$924/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
37.9 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

King George
4,833 people
Rocky Mount
4,926 people
South Hill
4,737 people
Chamberlayne
5,000 people
Orange
5,000 people
Berryville
4,667 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Luray's 4,836 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

South Brooksville, FL
4,835 people
Beecher, IL
4,837 people
Holbrook, AZ
4,834 people
South Bound Brook, NJ
4,833 people
Palos Park, IL
4,832 people
Hendron, KY
4,840 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Luray's $55,802 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Dana, NC
$55,801 median income
Kingsland, TX
$55,801 median income
Spring Grove, IN
$55,804 median income
Lake Wales, FL
$55,799 median income
Grand Marais, MI
$55,809 median income
Rib Lake, WI
$55,813 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Luray, VA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Luray, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 90.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.7% White 90.6% Black or African American 6.0% Asian 0.1% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 2.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Luray compares to nearby Virginia cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Luray (this city) 4,836 $55,802
King George 4,833 $92,452
Rocky Mount 4,926 $61,580
South Hill 4,737 $58,633
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Luray, VA?

What is the population of Luray, VA? +

The population of Luray, VA stands at 4,836 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Luray, VA? +

Median annual household income in Luray runs $55,802, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Luray? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Luray; the closest available measure is the Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 101.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Virginia vary by metro area.

Is Luray, VA safe? +

Luray has a total crime rate of 1263.2 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Luray, VA? +

The median home value in Luray is $243,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Luray? +

The average annual temperature in Luray runs 54.0°F, 44.1 inches of precipitation, and 18.6 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.