CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.25° N · 77.43° W · GEOID 5126128

Ettrick

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

VirginiaEttrick, VAEttrickEttrick

The short answer

Ettrick is home to 5,910 people. Median household income is $58,137 a year and median rent is $1,191 a month, 24.6% 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 $211,200, about 3.6x annual median household income.

The story in Ettrick is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 20.5% to 24.6% of income. Also notable: Unemployment is 16.6%, against 5% in its closest peers.

21OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Ettrick scores better than 21% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 169th of 190 in Virginia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%38
Economy 20%11
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%52
Education 10%37
Commute 10%77
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
$1,191
13% below the median place
Median household income
$58,137
28% below the median place
Median home value
$211,200
34% below the median place
Unemployment
16.6%
239% above 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 Ettrick

  • GrowthCompared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Half Moon, NC, Montevallo, AL and Ashland, VA), household income growth here is lower: -1.4% a year against a typical 3.7% a year.
01

Moving to Ettrick

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
18.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 6.2% 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
$47,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,191 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,406 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $211,200.
Getting to work
21 minutes each way on average; 11.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Montevallo, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
18.8%
227% above the median place
Moved from another state1
6.2%
214% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
5.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEttrickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year118.8%227% above
Moved from another state16.2%214% 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

72% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 95% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 181 Virginia places we track.

Ettrick24.6%
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
$47,640
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.6%
21% above the median place
Home price to income
3.6x
4% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$44,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Ettrick, $1,191 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 Ettrick, but easier on the budget

Places that match Ettrick 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
Montevallo, AL9320.3% vs 24.6%$2,300Compare
Colby, KS8414.2% vs 24.6%n/aCompare
Booneville, MS8315.2% vs 24.6%n/aCompare
Artesia, NM8320.6% vs 24.6%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Ettrick? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
72.3%
43% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,365
58% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,406
25% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureEttrickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,19113% below
Rent to income124.6%21% above
Property tax rate10.7%29% below
Home price to income13.6x4% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure97.93% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,6512% above
Property tax paid (median)1$1,36558% below
Median home value1$211,20034% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.8%13% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure57.0%11% above
Homeownership171.8%8% above
Renters paying 30%+172.3%43% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,40625% below
Vacant homes15.5%23% below
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment averaged 16.6% over the survey period, higher than in 98% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 160 Virginia places we track.

Unemployment1
16.6%
239% above the median place
Income per person1
$24,156
40% below the median place
Median household income1
$58,137
28% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute21 min −17%
Poverty rate12.9% +19%
Works from home11.5% −7%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEttrickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$58,13728% below
Income per person1$24,15640% below
Unemployment116.6%239% above
Average annual pay5County figure$63,0574% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure0.6%84% below
Jobs5County figure148,6841% below
Poverty rate112.9%19% above
Mean commute121 min17% below
Works from home111.5%7% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.4%51% below
04

Who lives here

Median age is 24.3, 38% below the median place.

Median age1
24.3
38% below the median place
Household size1
2.3
9% below the median place
High school or higher1
87.0%
6% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance4.7% −27%
Bachelor's or higher26.0% −19%
Homes with broadband91.8% −1%
Born abroad8.9% +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEttrickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,9105998th largest
Median age124.338% below
Bachelor's or higher126.0%19% below
High school or higher187.0%6% below
Household size12.39% below
Born abroad18.9%1% above
No health insurance14.7%27% below
Homes with broadband191.8%1% below
05

Life in Ettrick

The nearest National Park Service site is Petersburg National Battlefield, about 4 miles away.

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

  • Vawter Hall and Old President's House listed 1980
  • Vawter Hall and Old President's House (Additional Documentation) listed 1980

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.4 −67%
Playgrounds per 10k13.5 +44%
Grocery stores per 10k3.4 +59%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.4 −70%
Libraries per 10k3.4 3.9×
Named paths and bike trails1 km −70%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.0 4.9×

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

  • Petersburg National Battlefield 4 miles
  • Richmond National Battlefield Park 13 miles
  • Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site 21 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
560
89% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site9
4.1
87% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEttrickAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11189% below
Public school students1156089% below
Students per teacher1113.016% 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 10k83.467% below
Playgrounds per 10k813.544% above
Grocery stores per 10k83.459% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k83.470% below
Libraries per 10k83.4289% above
Named paths and bike trails80.670% below
Transit stops per sq mi81.0386% above
Nearest National Park Service site94.187% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles95150% above
National Register listings10285% below
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 Ettrick. 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
MeasureEttrickAmong 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

Ettrick in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 25% of the median income in 2030, up from 25% 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, Ettrick does better than 35% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 67%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,191/mo (2024)$1,510/mo$1,240 to $1,840/mo+4.0%
Median household income$58,137 (2024)$72,000$60,500 to $85,000+3.6%
Median home value$211,200 (2024)$306,000$222,000 to $422,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 4.3 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 Ettrick

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

PlaceRentIncome
Jacksonville, NC$1,321$57,697Compare
Twentynine Palms, CA$1,352$62,554Compare
Gardere, LA$1,157$55,409Compare
Brent, FL$1,161$49,167Compare
Brent, FLGardere, LATwentynine Palms, CAJacksonville, NCEttrick, VAEttrickJacksonvilleTwentynine PalmsGardereBrentEttrickJacksonvilleTwentynine PalmsGardereBrent

Places built like Ettrick

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 Ettrick performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Ettrick, VA24.6%-1.4%/yrn/a
Half Moon, NC21.1%5.3%/yrn/aCompare
Montevallo, AL20.3%2.7%/yr8.9%Compare
Ashland, VA24.1%2.1%/yr5.1%Compare
DeFuniak Springs, FL22.5%5.4%/yr24.1%Compare
Henderson, TN20.4%3.5%/yr4.3%Compare
Travelers Rest, SC22.7%1.8%/yr17.4%Compare

Common questions

Is Ettrick a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 21 out of 100, better than 21% of the places we rate and 169th of 190 in Virginia. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Half Moon, NC, Montevallo, AL and Ashland, VA), household income growth here is lower: -1.4% a year against a typical 3.7% a year. On cost, space and class size it scores 43 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Ettrick expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.6% 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 $211,200.

What salary do you need to live in Ettrick?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $47,640 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Ettrick?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Jacksonville, NC, Twentynine Palms, CA, Gardere, LA and Brent, FL.

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 Ettrick with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Ettrick itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/ettrick-virginia

Citytistics. “Ettrick, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/ettrick-virginia/

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