The Mortgage Ledger

United States · Virginia

Virginia mortgage calculator

Estimate your monthly payment in Virginia — principal & interest, property tax, and insurance — using the live national average rate and Virginia's estimated ~0.87% effective property tax rate. Adjust any figure below.

Data researched & maintained by Robinjit Singh · Last verified June 2026

Affording a home in Virginia

Difficult

Income gap

+$30,000

$30,000 more yearly income than the typical household here earns is what a median home asks — the reason many buyers combine two incomes, buy smaller, or put more down.

Median home price

$408,000

The statewide middle — half of homes cost less, half more.

Income needed

$117,000

To qualify at the standard 28% rule with 20% down.

Typical household income

$87,000

What the median household here actually earns.

A median Virginia home costs $408k and needs $30k more annual income than the typical household earns.

Median is a statewide figure — expensive cities and more affordable rural areas vary widely.

Source: Zillow ZHVI · U.S. Census ACS · Splitero · Verified 2026-06-30

Most Virginia buyers combine two incomes — here's why

The typical Virginia household earns $87,000/year. To buy a median-priced home, lenders generally want to see $117,000/year. That's a $30,000 gap — which is why many Virginia buyers combine two incomes, choose a smaller first home, or put down a larger deposit to reduce the loan. None of these is the wrong choice; knowing the gap is the starting point.

The roles and income paths that commonly reach it in Virginia are listed below — some single high-earning roles, some two incomes combined.

Roles and income paths that commonly meet the income in Virginia
  • Federal/government worker
  • Software developer
  • Military personnel (VA loan)

Pay varies widely by employer, experience, and city — these are paths that often (not always) reach the income needed, not a guarantee for any individual. Entries like “+ partner income” mean two incomes combined.

First-time buyer programs available in Virginia
  • VHDA First-Time Homebuyer Program
  • Plus Second Mortgage
  • Granting Freedom program

Programs and their terms change — verify current availability and eligibility with the official state housing agency before relying on any of these.

What makes Virginia legally different for homebuyers

Virginia has one of the fastest foreclosure timelines in the country and no post-sale right of redemption. Virginia also has a first-time homebuyer savings account with a state income tax exemption on account earnings — one of the easiest state-level programs to use, with no income limits.

If you buy here

Virginia's proximity to DC, strong federal job market, and military installations (VA loan-eligible buyers are significant), combined with no post-sale redemption, means understanding your protections upfront matters. The VA loan benefit is one of the most powerful homebuying tools available for eligible buyers — use it.

Foreclosure
nonjudicial, ~2 mo
Post-sale redemption
None
Anti-deficiency protection
No

General overview only — laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a real estate attorney for advice specific to your purchase. (Verified 2026-06-30.)

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Paid straight to principal each month — see the interest and time it saves in the results.

Understanding your numbers before you sign.

A mortgage is likely the largest financial commitment of your life. The Mortgage Ledger was built so you can explore what that commitment actually looks like — payment by payment, line by line — before you're sitting across from a lender.

Rates sourced from FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Estimates only — not a loan offer.

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Down-payment scenarios for a median home in Virginia

How much you put down changes the loan, the monthly payment, and the income a lender wants to see. Below is a median-priced $408,000 home in Virginiaat a 6.65% benchmark rate over 30 years — the same assumptions behind the income figures above.

Down paymentLoanMonthly P&IIncome to qualifyMortgage insurance
5% · $20,400$387,600$2,488/mo≈ $144,912PMI ~$258/mo
10% · $40,800$367,200$2,357/mo≈ $138,717PMI ~$245/mo
20% · $81,600$326,400$2,095/mo$117,000None

At 20% down the income to qualify is the $117,000 shown above; putting less down means a bigger loan, a higher payment, and PMI (estimated at ~0.8% of the loan per year until you reach 20% equity — the actual rate varies by credit).

What a median home actually costs each month (20% down)

$2,095principal & interest + $296 property tax + $138 insurance = $2,529/mo. Property tax and insurance are added on top of the mortgage, never blended into the rate. Insurance is Virginia's average annual premium ($1,650/yr, at a benchmark $300k dwelling) — your quote will vary.

The bigger picture: a median home in Virginia costs about 4.7×the typical household's yearly income — close to the national ratio of about 4.8×.

Go deeper: run your own numbers in the affordability calculator, download the full dataset or read the methodology. Compare with neighbouring Maryland and Tennessee.

How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Virginia?

In Virginia, you need to earn about $117,000 a year to afford a median-priced home of $408,000 — $30,000 more than the $87,000 a typical household earns. That gap is why most buyers here combine two incomes, buy below the median, or put more down.

How much do you need to earn to buy a house in Virginia?

To afford a median-priced home in Virginia (about $408,000), a buyer needs roughly $117,000 per year, compared with the $87,000 a median Virginia household earns. Source: The Mortgage Ledger, 2026.

What is the average home price in Virginia?

The median home price in Virginia is about $408,000 as of June 2026, per The Mortgage Ledger.

What are property taxes in Virginia?

Virginia has an effective property tax rate of about 0.87%, or roughly $3,550 per year on a median-priced home. Source: The Mortgage Ledger, 2026.

Do you need two incomes to buy a home in Virginia?

Yes — the income needed to buy a median-priced home ($117,000) is well above a single median household income of $87,000, so most buyers combine two incomes or make a larger down payment.

Source: The Mortgage Ledger · Figures are statewide medians and benchmark estimates · Data verified June 2026.

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