Virginia

Living wage in Charlottesville, Virginia

Most of Charlottesville is in Charlottesville city, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $41.72 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$41.72/hrCharlottesville city standard
At Charlottesville's middle rent$43.70/hrstudio rent $1,330 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Charlottesville city

Across the 8 ZIP codes in Charlottesville with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,280 to $1,490 a month. At the middle rent, $1,330, a full-time job would need to pay $43.70 an hour before taxes.

Parts of Charlottesville are also in Albemarle County.

ZIP codes in Charlottesville

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
22901Albemarle County$1,360/mo$44.86/hr
22902Charlottesville city$1,440/mo$47.95/hr
22903Charlottesville city$1,330/mo$43.70/hr
22904Albemarle County$1,330/mo$43.70/hr
22905Charlottesville city$1,280/mo$41.76/hr
22906Charlottesville city$1,280/mo$41.76/hr
22908Charlottesville city$1,280/mo$41.76/hr
22911Albemarle County$1,490/mo$49.89/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in Charlottesville, Virginia?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Charlottesville needs to pay at least $41.72 an hour before taxes, about $86,781 a year. That is the figure for Charlottesville city, where the typical studio rent is $1,279 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 8 ZIP codes in Charlottesville with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,280 to $1,490 a month. At the middle rent of $1,330, the pay needed would be $43.70 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Charlottesville city is $12.77 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 3.3 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads