Charlottesville city, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Charlottesville city, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 92% of counties in Virginia
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C
Income Below average
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A+
Education Top gradeBetter educated than 94% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Charlottesville city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,435 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4425.3 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.05% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.9 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,814 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Charlottesville city grew by 9.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 45,435 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Charlottesville city is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 33.6% of residents. That is 12.2 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 15,271 33.6% +12.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,270 22.6% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,456 16.4% -4.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,495 12.1% -4.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Charlottesville city and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 48.4% Virginia 49.4%
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100% of everyone living in Charlottesville city
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Economy
Charlottesville city has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Charlottesville city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,882 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.97% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Charlottesville city is about 20% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Charlottesville city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $454,652 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,540 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 44.2% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Charlottesville city is about 24.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,540 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Charlottesville city spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Charlottesville city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.2 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.5 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,939 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.4% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,603 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,458 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Charlottesville city is 15 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Charlottesville city has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Charlottesville city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.1% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.14 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Charlottesville city has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Charlottesville city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.5% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.7% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Charlottesville city, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Charlottesville city, VA is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 45,435 residents against a local median of 28,092. The measure that sets Charlottesville city, VA apart most is commute: 15.2 min, 49% below the local median of 30.0 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $74,882 against a local median of $97,117, 23% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Charlottesville city, VA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 11.4 min on commute, so Charlottesville city, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Charlottesville city, VA has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville city, VA | 45,435 | $74,882 #4/4 | $454,652 #1/4 | 15.2 min #1/4 |
| Albemarle County, VA | 114,898 | $104,612 | $379,048 | 20.6 min |
| Greene County, VA | 21,143 | $90,893 | $265,113 | 30.0 min |
| Fluvanna County, VA | 28,092 | $97,117 | $411,111 | 31.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Charlottesville city, Virginia.
What is the population of Charlottesville city, Virginia?
About 45,435 people live in Charlottesville city, Virginia, in 19,814 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 30.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Charlottesville city, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Charlottesville city, Virginia has 4,425 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 51 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Charlottesville city, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.1 times the median household income ($454,652 against $74,882), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,540 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Charlottesville city, Virginia?
Unemployment in Charlottesville city, Virginia is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Charlottesville city, Virginia?
50.1% of adults in Charlottesville city, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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