City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Waynesboro, VA

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

22,574
Residents
$56,364
Median income
$236,600
Median home
$1,261
Median rent (state)

Waynesboro - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Waynesboro lands in the 29th percentile for household income and the 38th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

29th
percentile, household income
53rd
percentile, home value
42nd
percentile, median rent
38th
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: Waynesboro, VA

Waynesboro is a small city in Virginia, home to 22,574 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $56,364 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.1%. Waynesboro's housing stock carries a median value of $236,600, and the median resident age is 38.9 years. 26.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 390 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 76% from five years earlier. Waynesboro reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1761.5 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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,261 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Virginia run around $235, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Waynesboro workers runs 19.1 minutes, with 75.7% driving alone and 8.9% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 10.3 out of 100 (Very Low).

Population

22,574 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$56,364 /yr

Poverty 9.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average

How does Waynesboro compare to other US cities?

Waynesboro measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 29% higher than other cities
Home value 53% pricier than other cities
Median rent 42% pricier than other cities
Safety 38% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Virginia, Waynesboro ranks #57 of 117 Virginia cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

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

Virginia-relative analysis

Poverty Rate sits close to the middle of Virginia's city distribution

Among the 616 Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Waynesboro ranks #210 - the 66th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Waynesboro only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#384 of 558
31st percentile in Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#304 of 619
48th percentile in Virginia
Median Home Value
#316 of 567
44th percentile in Virginia
Poverty Rate
#210 of 616
66th percentile in Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#329 of 618
47th 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
38thSafety percentile

29th percentile nationally for median household income · 38th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Waynesboro's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Waynesboro'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 40 Avg. percentile National median
Waynesboro'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 Waynesboro's home value compares nationally

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

$236,600 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. Waynesboro $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 - Waynesboro, VA Waynesboro, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Waynesboro, 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 Waynesboro, VA median $56,364/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%
Waynesboro, 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 Waynesboro, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 26.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 9.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.6%

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

Population
22,574
Median Income
$56,364
Median Home Value
$236,600
Median Age
38.9
Poverty Rate
9.1%
Labor force participation
61.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
26.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1761.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
245.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1516.5
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
8
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
22,000 residents23,000 residents24,000 residents25,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 22,280 residents 23,951 residents ▲ +7.5%
Waynesboro's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
390
housing units authorized
Single-Family
138
detached homes
Multifamily
252
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
17.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 222
2020 129
2021 102
2022 117
2023 170
2024 390

Permit volume increased 76% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.1 minutes
Drive Alone
75.7%
Carpool
11.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
8.9%
Other
1.8%

Based on 10,970 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 Waynesboro 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
10.3 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

McNair
22,451 people
Christiansburg
22,820 people
Leesylvania
22,848 people
Montclair
22,295 people
West Springfield
22,905 people
Hopewell
22,944 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Waynesboro's 22,574 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Albertville, AL
22,584 people
Kihei, HI
22,564 people
West Rancho Dominguez, CA
22,560 people
Millbrae, CA
22,589 people
DeBary, FL
22,602 people
Bear, DE
22,604 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Waynesboro's $56,364 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Ajo, AZ
$56,364 median income
South Roxana, IL
$56,364 median income
Dandridge, TN
$56,367 median income
Town of Pecos, TX
$56,361 median income
Greenock, PA
$56,359 median income
McDonald, PA
$56,369 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Waynesboro, 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 Waynesboro, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 75.6% 11.9% 8.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.2% White 75.6% Black or African American 11.9% Asian 1.9% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.6% Two or more races 8.8% 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 Waynesboro 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
Waynesboro (this city) 22,574 $56,364
McNair 22,451 $123,327
Christiansburg 22,820 $75,451
Leesylvania 22,848 $137,460
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Waynesboro, VA?

What is the population of Waynesboro, VA? +

22,574 people live in Waynesboro, VA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Waynesboro households earn a median of $56,364 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Waynesboro? +

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

Waynesboro has a total crime rate of 1761.5 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 Waynesboro, VA? +

Waynesboro's median home value sits at $236,600, 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

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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.