CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.52° N · 77.57° W · GEOID 5108472

Bon Air

Chesterfield County, Virginia · part of the Richmond, VA metro

VirginiaBon Air, VABon AirBon Air

The short answer

Bon Air is home to 16,904 people. Median household income is $101,879 a year and median rent is $1,799 a month, 21.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $365,200, about 3.6x annual median household income.

Bon Air's housing market sets it apart. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $57 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 93% of places its size.

78OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Bon Air scores better than 78% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 53rd of 190 in Virginia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%50
Economy 20%75
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%47
Education 10%85
Commute 10%50
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,799
32% above the median place
Median household income
$101,879
27% above the median place
Median home value
$365,200
14% above the median place
Unemployment
3.5%
29% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Bon Air

  • Life nearbyOpenStreetMap shows 4.1 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 81% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
  • SchoolsPublic schools here have 12.8 students per teacher, fewer than in 79% of the 1,707 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Bon Air

Chesterfield County gains about 5.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in21,702
Moved out19,789
Net+1,913

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Richmond city, VA4,3583,381+977
Henrico County, VA3,3542,297+1,057
Powhatan County, VA370718−348
Hanover County, VA350538−188
Prince George County, VA383452−69

Within Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within VirginiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$75K
Leavers$69K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Chesterfield County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
8.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.1% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Chesterfield County report $74,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $69,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$72,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,799 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,856 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $365,200.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 19.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Sylvania, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
8.3%
44% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
5.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6
$74,845
6% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBon AirAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year18.3%44% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.1%4% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure5.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$74,8456% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$69,4181% below
02

What it costs to live here

Median gross rent is $1,799, 32% above the median place.

Bon Air21.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$71,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.2%
4% above the median place
Home price to income
3.6x
6% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$82,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Bon Air, $1,799 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.6 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Bon Air, but easier on the budget

Places that match Bon Air on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Sylvania, OH9512.8% vs 21.2%$8,300Compare
Ellisville, MO9516.3% vs 21.2%$14,100Compare
Allison Park, PA9412.9% vs 21.2%$17,600Compare
North Attleborough Town, MA9316.1% vs 21.2%$11,000Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Bon Air.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Bon Air? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
46.1%
9% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.8%
18% below the median place
Homeownership1
72.7%
9% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBon AirAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,79932% above
Rent to income121.2%4% above
Property tax rate10.8%18% below
Home price to income13.6x6% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure97.93% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,6512% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,74916% below
Median home value1$365,20014% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.8%13% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure57.0%11% above
Homeownership172.7%9% above
Renters paying 30%+146.1%9% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,8561% below
Vacant homes17.3%3% above
Median year built119760% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 0 bus and rail stops per square mile, fewer than in 78% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 195 Virginia places we track.

Unemployment1
3.5%
29% below the median place
Works from home1
19.7%
58% above the median place
Poverty rate1
6.7%
38% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$101,879 +27%
Income per person$47,463 +18%
Mean commute25 min +0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBon AirAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$101,87927% above
Income per person1$47,46318% above
Unemployment13.5%29% below
Average annual pay5County figure$63,0574% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure0.6%84% below
Jobs5County figure148,6841% below
Poverty rate16.7%38% below
Mean commute125 min0% above
Works from home119.7%58% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.4%51% below
04

Who lives here

55% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 84% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Bachelor's or higher1
55.2%
72% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
95.6%
4% above the median place
Median age1
42.8
10% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance4.9% −23%
Household size2.4 −4%
Born abroad9.8% +11%
High school or higher92.8% +0%
All 8 people measures
MeasureBon AirAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population116,9042711th largest
Median age142.810% above
Bachelor's or higher155.2%72% above
High school or higher192.8%0% above
Household size12.44% below
Born abroad19.8%11% above
No health insurance14.9%23% below
Homes with broadband195.6%4% above
05

Life in Bon Air

6 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 80% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

32 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.1 −59%
Playgrounds per 10k4.7 −50%
Grocery stores per 10k3.5 +67%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k29.0 2.6×
Libraries per 10k1.2 +36%
Named paths and bike trails1 km −65%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site 8 miles
  • Richmond National Battlefield Park 13 miles
  • Petersburg National Battlefield 24 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars15.9 −24%
Shops24.7 −18%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.1 −24%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.0 +4%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools11
1
89% below the median place
Public school students11
488
90% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site9
7.6
75% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBon AirAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11189% below
Public school students1148890% below
Students per teacher1112.817% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure15.924% below
Shops per 10k7County figure24.718% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure3.124% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure21.04% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k84.159% below
Playgrounds per 10k84.750% below
Grocery stores per 10k83.567% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k829.0160% above
Libraries per 10k81.236% above
Named paths and bike trails80.765% below
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site97.675% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles96200% above
National Register listings10County figure32146% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Median air quality index is 39, 9% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Bon Air. Larger places are fetched first.

Median air quality index14
39
9% below the median place
Good air days14
80.8%
18% above the median place
Wildfire risk13
44.0
28% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBon AirAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure89°F3% above
January average low12County figure28°F11% above
Average temperature12County figure59°F7% above
Annual precipitation12County figure46.6 in6% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure84.88% below
Hurricane risk13County figure85.821% above
Tornado risk13County figure76.86% below
Wildfire risk13County figure44.028% below
Heat wave risk13County figure86.54% below
Median air quality index14County figure399% below
Good air days14County figure80.8%18% above
08

Bon Air in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Bon Air does better than 49% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 51%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,799/mo (2024)$2,310/mo$1,900 to $2,820/mo+4.3%
Median household income$101,879 (2024)$128,500$108,500 to $152,000+4.0%
Median home value$365,200 (2024)$524,000$380,000 to $722,000+6.2%

The median home would be worth 4.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Bon Air

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Garrison, MD$1,952$102,423Compare
Midlothian, VA$1,760$110,084Compare
Willowbrook, IL$1,747$99,239Compare
Brandermill, VA$1,782$107,396Compare
Brandermill, VAWillowbrook, ILMidlothian, VAGarrison, MDBon Air, VABon AirGarrisonMidlothianWillowbrookBrandermillBon AirGarrisonMidlothianWillowbrookBrandermill

Places built like Bon Air

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Bon Air performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Bon Air, VA21.2%4.5%/yrn/a
Cave Spring, VA17.6%6.2%/yrn/aCompare
Brandermill, VA19.9%1.2%/yrn/aCompare
Satellite Beach, FL19.2%8.5%/yr1.0%Compare
Wekiwa Springs, FL20.3%5.9%/yrn/aCompare
Reisterstown, MD22.4%3.9%/yrn/aCompare
Rockwood, VA21.4%3.4%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Bon Air a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 78 out of 100, better than 78% of the places we rate and 53rd of 190 in Virginia. OpenStreetMap shows 4.1 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 81% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. Public schools here have 12.8 students per teacher, fewer than in 79% of the 1,707 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 71 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Bon Air expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $365,200.

What salary do you need to live in Bon Air?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $71,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Bon Air?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Garrison, MD, Midlothian, VA, Willowbrook, IL and Brandermill, VA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Bon Air with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Bon Air itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/bon-air-virginia

Citytistics. “Bon Air, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/bon-air-virginia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.