CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.66° N · 77.62° W · GEOID 5172272

Short Pump

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

VirginiaShort Pump, VAShort PumpShort Pump

The short answer

Short Pump is home to 29,026 people. Median household income is $138,845 a year and median rent is $1,847 a month, 16.0% 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 $568,900, about 4.1x annual median household income.

Short Pump stands out on how people work. Unemployment is 1.7%, against 3.6% in its closest peers. Also notable: Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 83 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

#58OF 6,612

CTXCitytistics Index

Exceptional

Short Pump ranks 58th of the 6,612 places we rate, in the top 1%, and 1st of 190 in Virginia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%64
Economy 20%94
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%58
Education 10%97
Commute 10%70
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
$1,847
35% above the median place
Median household income
$138,845
73% above the median place
Median home value
$568,900
78% above the median place
Unemployment
1.7%
65% 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.

01

Moving to Short Pump

Henrico County loses about 1.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in20,200
Moved out20,663
Net−463

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Richmond city, VA5,4613,903+1,558
Chesterfield County, VA2,2973,354−1,057
Hanover County, VA1,2361,944−708
Goochland County, VA353915−562
New Kent County, VA198380−182

Within Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within VirginiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$75K
Leavers$82K

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

Who moves here
10.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Henrico County report $75,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $82,500, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$73,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,847 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,719 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $568,900.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 28.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Dublin, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
4.5%
125% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
10.6%
84% above the median place
Income of households moving out6
$82,470
17% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureShort PumpAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year110.6%84% above
Moved from another state14.5%125% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-1.7183% below
Income of households moving in6County figure$75,1907% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$82,47017% above
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $119,600 a year, more than in 90% of the 907 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Short Pump16.0%
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
$73,880
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.0%
22% below the median place
Home price to income
4.1x
8% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$119,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Short Pump, $1,847 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 Short Pump, but easier on the budget

Places that match Short Pump 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
Dublin, OH8112.6% vs 16.0%$24,800Compare
Clive, IA769.7% vs 16.0%$8,500Compare
Tega Cay, SC7111.9% vs 16.0%$9,000Compare
Madison, AL7012.9% vs 16.0%$2,300Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Short Pump? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
3.6%
49% below the median place
Median year built1
1999
1% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
40.9%
19% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureShort PumpAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,84735% above
Rent to income116.0%22% below
Property tax rate10.7%19% below
Home price to income14.1x8% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure97.93% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,6512% above
Property tax paid (median)1$4,21329% above
Median home value1$568,90078% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure4.9%55% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure56.8%10% above
Homeownership157.9%13% below
Renters paying 30%+140.9%19% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,71945% above
Vacant homes13.6%49% below
Median year built119991% above
03

Work and pay

29% of workers skip the commute by working from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 89% of places.

Unemployment1
1.7%
65% below the median place
Poverty rate1
3.6%
67% below the median place
Works from home1
28.9%
132% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$71,693 +79%
Median household income$138,845 +73%
Mean commute22 min −12%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureShort PumpAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$138,84573% above
Income per person1$71,69379% above
Unemployment11.7%65% below
Average annual pay5County figure$73,26011% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.9%5% above
Jobs5County figure193,23228% above
Poverty rate13.6%67% below
Mean commute122 min12% below
Works from home128.9%132% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.9%4% above
04

Who lives here

75% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 97% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Bachelor's or higher1
75.1%
134% above the median place
High school or higher1
98.2%
6% above the median place
No health insurance1
2.9%
55% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad24.7% 2.8×
Homes with broadband96.1% +4%
Median age38.6 −1%
Household size2.5 −0%
All 8 people measures
MeasureShort PumpAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population129,0261586th largest
Median age138.61% below
Bachelor's or higher175.1%134% above
High school or higher198.2%6% above
Household size12.50% below
Born abroad124.7%180% above
No health insurance12.9%55% below
Homes with broadband196.1%4% above
05

Life in Short Pump

OpenStreetMap shows 5.9 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 99% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

37 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.5 −56%
Playgrounds per 10k16.9 +79%
Grocery stores per 10k5.9 2.8×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k38.6 3.5×
Libraries per 10k0.7 −21%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −95%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.3 6.4×

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 12 miles
  • Richmond National Battlefield Park 21 miles
  • Petersburg National Battlefield 33 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.1 +1%
Shops34.1 +13%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.1 +24%
Doctors' offices and clinics27.1 +34%
Child care centers3.1 +35%

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

Nearest National Park Service site9
12.4
60% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7
27.1
34% above the median place
Public school students11
51,624
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureShort PumpAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure82above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure51,624above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure15.61% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure21.11% above
Shops per 10k7County figure34.113% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure5.124% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure27.134% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure3.135% above
Parks per 10k84.556% below
Playgrounds per 10k816.979% above
Grocery stores per 10k85.9176% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k838.6246% above
Libraries per 10k80.721% below
Named paths and bike trails80.195% below
Transit stops per sq mi81.3above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site912.460% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles96200% above
National Register listings10County figure37185% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 34.5, 44% 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 Short Pump. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk13
34.5
44% below the median place
Median air quality index14
40
7% below the median place
Natural hazard risk13
83.4
10% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureShort PumpAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure89°F3% above
January average low12County figure28°F11% above
Average temperature12County figure59°F7% above
Annual precipitation12County figure46.5 in6% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure83.410% below
Hurricane risk13County figure81.816% above
Tornado risk13County figure81.01% below
Wildfire risk13County figure34.544% below
Heat wave risk13County figure87.92% below
Median air quality index14County figure407% below
Good air days14County figure75.8%11% above
08

Short Pump in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% 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, Short Pump does better than 64% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 30%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,847/mo (2024)$2,370/mo$1,950 to $2,890/mo+4.3%
Median household income$138,845 (2024)$176,500$149,500 to $209,000+4.1%
Median home value$568,900 (2024)$805,000$585,000 to $1,110,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 4.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.1 now.

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

09

Places like Short Pump

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

PlaceRentIncome
Monmouth Junction, NJ$1,935$133,585Compare
Crozet, VA$1,851$129,417Compare
Bala Cynwyd, PA$1,886$150,000Compare
Cary, NC$1,738$134,905Compare
Cary, NCBala Cynwyd, PACrozet, VAMonmouth Junction, NJShort Pump, VACrozetBala CynwydCaryCrozetBala CynwydCary

Places built like Short Pump

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 Short Pump performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Short Pump, VA16.0%5.3%/yrn/a
Westchase, FL21.0%5.5%/yrn/aCompare
Suwanee, GA21.9%2.7%/yr10.8%Compare
Ashburn, VA19.0%3.2%/yrn/aCompare
Brookhaven, GA19.2%4.9%/yr5.1%Compare
Dunwoody, GA18.3%4.9%/yr0.3%Compare
Kingstowne, VA19.1%2.9%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Short Pump a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. It ranks 58th of the 6,612 places we rate on the Citytistics Index, in the top 1%, and 1st of 190 in Virginia. On cost, space and class size it scores 71 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Short Pump expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $568,900.

What salary do you need to live in Short Pump?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $73,880 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Short Pump?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Monmouth Junction, NJ, Crozet, VA, Bala Cynwyd, PA and Cary, NC.

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

Citytistics. “Short Pump, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/short-pump-virginia/

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