Winchester, VA
Census place 5186720 · pop 27,913
An apple-country city that changed hands more than 70 times during the Civil War and was the hometown of Patsy Cline.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
43.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
21.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
13.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
15.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
28.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
37.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$63,974 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$343,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,755/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
31.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.76% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
27/100 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.
Not measured for Winchester: Crime, Air, Bad air, 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 Winchester, VA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Winchester scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk 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 Winchester, VA expensive to live in?
- Winchester has a median home value of $343,000 and typical rent around $1,755/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Winchester, VA?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (43.6%) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Winchester, VA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (27/100) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: An apple-country city that changed hands more than 70 times during the Civil War and was the hometown of Patsy Cline.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.