Where to Find House Price Area Differences Including Highest & Lowest Prices?
- Adam Garrett
- Apr 11, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 24
City-Data for Median Monthly Housing Cost, Median Value, & Many More Options
This map on City Data has a state view, county view, zip codes, tracts, & block groups simply by zooming in and out.
There are many possibilities, with median monthly housing costs & median value being just a few.
Median Price of Homes Sales by County/City
Prices by City/County (best viewed on desktop; view on mobile here):
Median Price of Homes Sales by Metropolitan Statistical Area
Be sure to use the filters on the top left to avoid a blank map. This section is best viewed on a laptop or desktop. View on mobile here.
House Price Index by State
I don't find the below that useful since there can be a high level of variance within a state. Some parts of VA have over 5x the median prices vs other parts.
If issues below find the map below here.
Housing + Transportation Costs + % Income Map
There's also a map out that factors in transportation cost with a certain algorithm:
Locations in highly populous areas with plenty of mass transportation & jobs nearby get a boost in affordability:
Related:
Affordability of Median Priced Home by Median Household Income of County/State Maps
Distressed vs Prosperous Index Map
Those wishing to buy in lower-cost areas often sacrifice the benefits of being in a prosperous community. Per EIG, "The seven components of the index are:
No high school diploma: Share of the 25 and older population without a high school diploma or equivalent.
Housing vacancy rate: Share of habitable housing that is unoccupied, excluding properties that are for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use.
Adults not working: Share of the prime-age (25-54) population that is not currently employed.
Poverty rate: Share of the population below the poverty line.
Median income ratio: Median household income as a share of metro area median household income (or state, for non-metro areas and all congressional districts).
Changes in employment: Percent change in the number of jobs over the past five years.
Changes in establishments: Percent change in the number of business establishments over the past five years."
Extreme High & Low-Cost Areas
The 50 highest-price zip codes in VA are primarily in northern Virginia near DC, with zip codes starting with 22 or 20. The only exception in SE VA is 23398, Jamesville, on the Eastern Shore, but the population there is less than 200 people.
Among zip codes in SE VA, the following lowest-cost zip codes are notable as of 1/17/24 on UnitedStatesZipCodes.org:
Rank in VA | Zip Code | Region in SE VA | County in SE VA | Town | Median Home Value | Median Household Income | People/ Sq Mile |
2 | Eastern Shore | Accomack | Oak Hall | $38,900 | $53,150 | 65 | |
44 | Emporia | Brunswick | Lawrenceville | $109.200 | $35,109 | 61 | |
45 | Richmond | Richmond City | < | $111,500 | $33,141 | 2869 | |
47 | Peninsula | Newport News | < | $113,100 | $27,897 | 4210 |
For more details, see:
Why Prices Alone are Insufficient & Who Should Go After the Lowest Gross Prices - Introduction
Often affordability maps don't factor in median income by location. Typically income is lower in areas with lower home costs. Maps without that factor are particularly helpful for those who are in the circumstances below.
Cost of Living by MSA
Income to Housing Cost Ratio Map
Here's a solid map based on rent, mortgage, or no mortgage for housing cost ratios by % of income and color-coded by city/county, with the option to shift between rent and mortgages:
Here's a prime comparison example:
In Buchanan County, VA, the average home value is under $73,000 per Zillow as of 3/5/25. Sounds great, right? There's more to the story. That county is one of the highest ratios of mortgage to income in the state. Petersburg beats it, but Petersburg has a much higher population density, so getting to work won't typically cost as much.
Best case scenarios for low-cost areas:
Any 1 of the 3:
Remote work that can be done anywhere in the country (as long as there's fast internet)
Fixed income (i.e. retirement) form that doesn't fluctuate based on local cost of living
Option where it's possible to match a relatively similar income with a low cost of living vs a higher-priced area or that isn't available at all except in rural areas (i.e. a mining project director) or other countries (i.e. on certain US bases)
Mobility Cost Factor
Any 1 of the 2 if in a rural area:
Those who would rarely leave home & would either be near a local medical facility without high medical needs or have very low medical needs
Those who would have a very low cost to travel long distances (including a low value of time due to low income or a high impact capitalization on travel time) & would either be near a local medical facility without high medical needs or have very low medical needs.
Related:
Housing Cost + Transportation Cost Index Map
"While housing alone is traditionally deemed affordable when consuming no more than 30% of income, the H+T Index incorporates transportation costs—usually a household’s second-largest expense—to show that location-efficient places can be more livable and affordable."
Other Financial Factors
Factoring in other potential costs, i.e.
Utility expenses of an area
Insurance Costs (especially in flood zones)
Increasing rental amount if you are renting
Value that you can command if renting out rooms from your home
Median home lifespan (& likely increasing lot rent if you don't own the lot) if a manufactured or mobile home
Being aware of house issues by year and their cost (annual extra utility cost & maintenance/replacement cost)
Staying safe. Any 1 of 2 if in a high crime area
Security
Self-defense capabilities
More Metrics by City/County, Zip Code, Etc.
Related:
About the Author: Adam Garrett - 3rd Generation REALTOR®
Adam is the 3rd generation in a line of award-winning real estate agents serving SE VA. He has served full time at Garrett Realty Partners since May 2014 when he joined the marketing department before transitioning to full-time sales to assist buyers and sellers in February 2015. He believes that an educated buyer or seller makes the best decisions, & is dedicated to helping with that both digitally & on-site physically for buyers & sellers. He's also available for referrals to real estate agents around the globe. In several capacities, his resources & direct offerings for assisting sellers & assisting buyers are either unmatched or are top 1% for the SE VA area, and in some cases, nationwide. Not stopping after closing, he also provides information for tenants, landlords, & homeowners.
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