What is the cheapest city to buy a house in Virginia?

Martinsville, with a median closed price of $110,000 over its reporting window, among Virginia cities where Resideline tracked at least 100 closings inside the city limits.

Are these asking prices or sale prices?

Closed sale prices. Every price median is the price homes actually closed at inside the municipal boundary, not a listing price. The one column measured differently is realized appreciation, which uses the postal city, as the note under the table says.

Why does a cheap city show a high price per square foot?

Because the ranking median covers every property type that closed, condos and multi-family included, while the $/sqft column is single-family houses only. In cities where most sales are condos, the median price is low and the house $/sqft can still be high.

Is the appreciation figure a forecast?

No. It is the median annual change between consecutive sales of the same home, on repeat-sale pairs. It is historical and nominal, and it says what happened, not what will.

Cheapest Cities to Buy a House in Virginia (2026)

These are the Virginia cities with the lowest median closed home price over their reporting window, among cities where Resideline tracked at least 100 closings inside the municipal limits. Cheapest is not the same as best value, so each city also shows what houses closed at per square foot, what history says about appreciation, and how fast listed homes went under contract.

The ranking

#	City	Median closed price	Houses $/sqft	Realized appreciation	Days to contract	Closings	Window
1	Martinsville	$110,000	$79	8.36%/yr	42	227	12 months
2	Danville	$147,075	$96	7.90%/yr	36	284	six months
3	Bristol	$185,000	$126	6.46%/yr	30	175	six months
4	Petersburg	$198,500	$149	6.10%/yr	14	324	six months
5	Roanoke	$230,000	$154	5.92%/yr	18	847	six months
6	Lynchburg	$255,000	$150	5.74%/yr	15	669	six months
7	Portsmouth	$265,000	$183	3.13%/yr	17	763	six months
8	Hampton	$276,000	$190	3.58%/yr	18	979	six months
9	Salem	$287,475	$172	5.29%/yr	11	188	six months
10	Newport News	$290,000	$192	3.85%/yr	19	987	six months
11	Staunton	$292,500	$199	6.77%/yr	7	232	six months
12	Waynesboro	$304,495	$196	6.22%/yr	15	248	six months
13	Christiansburg	$306,000	$190	4.57%/yr	8	262	six months
14	Harrisonburg	$320,000	$200	5.79%/yr	11	199	six months
15	Norfolk	$321,500	$209	3.46%/yr	18	1,388	six months

1. Martinsville, $110,000

The median closed price in Martinsville is $110,000 across the last 12 months, which puts it at roughly 25 percent of the state figure. Resideline tracked 227 closings there, roughly 19 a month. Single-family houses closed at a median of $79 per square foot across 213 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 8.36 percent a year between those sales, on 349 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home took 42 days to go under contract, across 121 listed closings. About 16.6 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Martinsville market page.

2. Danville, $147,075

Danville's median closed price over the last six months was $147,075, around 34 percent of what the typical Virginia sale closed at. 284 closings sit behind that figure, about 47 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $96 per square foot across 261 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 7.90 percent a year between those sales, on 702 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 36 days. About 12.8 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Danville market page.

3. Bristol, $185,000

The median closed price in Bristol is $185,000 across the last six months, which puts it at roughly 42 percent of the state figure. 175 closings sit behind that figure, about 29 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $126 per square foot across 143 sales with usable living area. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 6.46 percent a year (650 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 30 days. About 10.8 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Bristol market page.

4. Petersburg, $198,500

Homes in Petersburg closed at a median of $198,500 over the last six months, about 45 percent of the Virginia statewide median. Resideline tracked 324 closings there, roughly 54 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $149, measured on 278 sales. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 6.10 percent a year (1,641 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 14 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. About 16.2 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Petersburg market page.

5. Roanoke, $230,000

Homes in Roanoke closed at a median of $230,000 over the last six months, about 52 percent of the Virginia statewide median. 847 closings sit behind that figure, about 141 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $154 per square foot across 749 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 5.92 percent a year between those sales, on 3,656 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home was under contract in 18 days, so a buyer here needs financing lined up before the search, not after. About 6.5 percent of listings that sold were marketed as-is or distressed, which is high and part of why the entry price is low. Full detail is on the Roanoke market page.

6. Lynchburg, $255,000

The median closed price in Lynchburg is $255,000 across the last six months, which puts it at roughly 58 percent of the state figure. Resideline tracked 669 closings there, roughly 112 a month. Single-family houses closed at a median of $150 per square foot across 522 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 5.74 percent a year between those sales, on 2,876 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home was under contract in 15 days, so a buyer here needs financing lined up before the search, not after. Full detail is on the Lynchburg market page.

7. Portsmouth, $265,000

The median closed price in Portsmouth is $265,000 across the last six months, which puts it at roughly 60 percent of the state figure. Resideline tracked 763 closings there, roughly 127 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $183, measured on 676 sales. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 3.13 percent a year between those sales, on 538 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home was under contract in 17 days, so a buyer here needs financing lined up before the search, not after. Full detail is on the Portsmouth market page.

8. Hampton, $276,000

Homes in Hampton closed at a median of $276,000 over the last six months, about 63 percent of the Virginia statewide median. Resideline tracked 979 closings there, roughly 163 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $190, measured on 838 sales. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 3.58 percent a year between those sales, on 614 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home was under contract in 18 days, so a buyer here needs financing lined up before the search, not after. Full detail is on the Hampton market page.

9. Salem, $287,475

The median closed price in Salem is $287,475 across the last six months, which puts it at roughly 65 percent of the state figure. Resideline tracked 188 closings there, roughly 31 a month. Single-family houses closed at a median of $172 per square foot across 167 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 5.29 percent a year between those sales, on 740 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 11 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Salem market page.

10. Newport News, $290,000

Homes in Newport News closed at a median of $290,000 over the last six months, about 66 percent of the Virginia statewide median. 987 closings sit behind that figure, about 164 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $192 per square foot across 831 sales with usable living area. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 3.85 percent a year (975 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 19 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Newport News market page.

11. Staunton, $292,500

The median closed price in Staunton is $292,500 across the last six months, which puts it at roughly 67 percent of the state figure. Resideline tracked 232 closings there, roughly 39 a month. On a per-square-foot basis, houses there closed at a median of $199, measured on 216 sales. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 6.77 percent a year between those sales, on 713 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 7 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Staunton market page.

12. Waynesboro, $304,495

Waynesboro's median closed price over the last six months was $304,495, around 69 percent of what the typical Virginia sale closed at. 248 closings sit behind that figure, about 41 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $196 per square foot across 199 sales with usable living area. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 6.22 percent a year (707 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 15 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Waynesboro market page.

13. Christiansburg, $306,000

The median closed price in Christiansburg is $306,000 across the last six months, which puts it at roughly 70 percent of the state figure. 262 closings sit behind that figure, about 44 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $190 per square foot across 188 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 4.57 percent a year between those sales, on 475 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. The median listed home was under contract in 8 days, so a buyer here needs financing lined up before the search, not after. Full detail is on the Christiansburg market page.

14. Harrisonburg, $320,000

Harrisonburg's median closed price over the last six months was $320,000, around 73 percent of what the typical Virginia sale closed at. 199 closings sit behind that figure, about 33 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $200 per square foot across 109 sales with usable living area. Between consecutive sales of the same home, prices moved a median 5.79 percent a year (670 pairs, postal-area scope), a historical figure rather than a projection. The median listed home was under contract in 11 days, so a buyer here needs financing lined up before the search, not after. Full detail is on the Harrisonburg market page.

15. Norfolk, $321,500

Norfolk's median closed price over the last six months was $321,500, around 73 percent of what the typical Virginia sale closed at. 1,388 closings sit behind that figure, about 231 a month, enough to price against. Single-family houses closed at a median of $209 per square foot across 1,117 sales with usable living area. Homes that sold twice appreciated at a median of 3.46 percent a year between those sales, on 890 repeat-sale pairs across the postal area that shares the city's name; that is what happened, not what will. Listed homes went under contract in a median of 18 days, which is fast for the state and leaves little time to deliberate. Full detail is on the Norfolk market page.

Note: realized appreciation is the one column measured on the postal city, from repeat sales of the same home across the ZIP codes that share the city's name; every other figure is confined to the municipal boundary.

How to read this list

A low median is where the analysis starts, not where it ends. Property type, size, condition and block move a number far more than the city line does, so check any address on this list against its own comparable closings.

Figures last updated October 3, 2026 from closings Resideline tracked. Appreciation is the median annual change between consecutive sales of the same home; it is historical, nominal and not a projection.