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Richmond, VA

Census place 5167000 · pop 229,359

D−50/ 100
🫤 Rough
D−
in VA
📍 Virginia ranks #14 of 50 states →
🏆 Air36 AQI · top 14%
🚽 Own43.5% · bottom 7%
💡 Did you know?

Capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War and birthplace of the country's first electric streetcar system in 1888.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.89% property · US 0.99%5.77% sales · US 7.00%up to 5.75% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

Google Maps ↗Zillow ↗Wikipedia ↗

The breakdown — worst first

Homeownership43.5%7

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

43.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Income inequality0.517

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Broadband access86.2%17

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

86.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Poverty rate18.2%22

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

18.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health18.8%24

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

18.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income$64,58736

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$64,587 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Housing cost$353,00037

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$353,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Population growth (5yr)+1.2%38

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+1.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Adult obesity36.7%39

U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities

36.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Uninsured adults10.7%40

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

10.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult smoking13.9%44

U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities

13.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Physical inactivity25.4%48

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

25.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Rent$1,687/mo55

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,687/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Property-tax burden0.89%56

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.89% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Commute time22 min64

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.2%71

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

3.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level73/10072

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

73/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Bachelor's degree or higher45.6%77

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

45.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Air quality (AQI)County-level36 AQI86

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

36 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Richmond: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Richmond, VA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Richmond scores 50/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is homeownership. Virginia overall ranks #14 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Richmond, VA expensive to live in?
Richmond has a median home value of $353,000 and typical rent around $1,687/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Richmond, VA?
Its weakest measured area is homeownership (43.5%) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Richmond, VA best at?
Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (36 AQI) — 86/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War and birthplace of the country's first electric streetcar system in 1888.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.