City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Staunton, VA

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

25,765
Residents
$62,586
Median income
$239,300
Median home
$1,261
Median rent (state)

Staunton - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Staunton places in the 39th percentile for household income and the 41st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

39th
percentile, household income
53rd
percentile, home value
42nd
percentile, median rent
41st
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: Staunton, VA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 25,765 residents in Staunton, a small city within Virginia. Median household income here is $62,586 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.3%. Home values in Staunton run a median of $239,300, and the median resident age is 41.0 years. 35.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 57.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 71 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 69% from five years earlier. Staunton reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1648.1 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).

Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 101.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,261 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Staunton report an average commute of 20.6 minutes, with 77.7% driving alone and 6.6% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 10.6 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

25,765 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$62,586 /yr

Poverty 8.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average

How does Staunton compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 39% higher than other cities
Home value 53% pricier than other cities
Median rent 42% pricier than other cities
Safety 41% 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: Staunton ranks #52 of 117 Virginia cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Staunton's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Virginia, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

39thIncome percentile
41stSafety percentile

39th percentile nationally for median household income · 41st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Staunton's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Staunton'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 44 Avg. percentile National median
Staunton'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 Staunton's home value compares nationally

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

$239,300 47th percentile more affordable than 47% 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. Staunton $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 - Staunton, VA Staunton, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Staunton, 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 Staunton, VA median $62,586/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%
Staunton, 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 Staunton, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 35.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.2%

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

Population
25,765
Median Income
$62,586
Median Home Value
$239,300
Median Age
41.0
Poverty Rate
8.3%
Labor force participation
57.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1648.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
141.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1506.6
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.

Schools

Total Schools
12
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
25,500 residents26,000 residents26,500 residents27,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 25,810 residents 26,801 residents ▲ +3.8%
Staunton's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
71
housing units authorized
Single-Family
43
detached homes
Multifamily
28
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 42
2020 50
2021 63
2022 70
2023 245
2024 71

Permit volume increased 69% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.6 minutes
Drive Alone
77.7%
Carpool
8.8%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
4.8%
Work from Home
6.6%
Other
1.6%

Based on 11,903 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 Staunton sits in

Cost of Living Index
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,261/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
10.6 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

Cave Spring
26,014 people
Salem
25,477 people
Bailey's Crossroads
25,458 people
Herndon
24,529 people
Fairfax
24,478 people
Brambleton
23,999 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Staunton's 25,765 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Rockville Centre, NY
25,770 people
Sebastian, FL
25,759 people
El Cerrito, CA
25,781 people
Fort Hood, TX
25,786 people
Allendale, MI
25,741 people
Derby, KS
25,801 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Staunton's $62,586 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Fifty-Six, AR
$62,583 median income
Candor, NY
$62,583 median income
Frankfort, OH
$62,583 median income
Falcon Lake Estates, TX
$62,589 median income
Taylor, AL
$62,596 median income
Blades, DE
$62,596 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Staunton, 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 Staunton, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 80.1% 11.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.4% White 80.1% Black or African American 11.0% Asian 1.5% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.3% Some other race 1.4% Two or more races 5.7% 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 Staunton 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
Staunton (this city) 25,765 $62,586
Cave Spring 26,014 $85,314
Salem 25,477 $66,716
Bailey's Crossroads 25,458 $84,241
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Staunton, VA?

What is the population of Staunton, VA? +

The population of Staunton, VA stands at 25,765 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Staunton is $62,586 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Staunton? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Staunton; 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 Staunton, VA safe? +

Staunton has a total crime rate of 1648.1 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 Staunton, VA? +

Staunton's median home value sits at $239,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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 Editorial

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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.