Charlottesville city, Virginia Income Statistics

Charlottesville city Wealth Score

The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.

  • C
    Charlottesville city Below average

Source: Map AI Methodology

Charlottesville city
Click a county to open it Explore the map →
Wealth grade

Income Statistics Overview

See income data visualized

Metric Charlottesville city Virginia Avg US Average
Median Household Income $74,882 $93,527 $80,455
Median Personal Income $63,824 $68,139 $60,758
Average Yearly Income Growth 5.0% 4.3% 4.8%
Six-Figure Earners 16.7% 18.3% 13.9%
$200k+ Households 15.1% 17.7% 13.2%

The median household income in Charlottesville city is about 20% lower than in Virginia. Income has been growing faster in Charlottesville city (5.0%/yr) than in Virginia (4.3%/yr).

About 17% of adults in Charlottesville city earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Virginia average of 18%.

Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend

Median Household Income Over Time

Charlottesville city
United States

Median household income in Charlottesville city, Virginia grew by 97.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $74,882 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.0% per year.

Charlottesville city has stayed below the U.S. median household income in every year from 2009 to 2024 and has never reached it. It came closest in 2018, at 1.5% lower. The gap has narrowed from 26% in 2009 to 6.9% in 2024.

Year Charlottesville city United States

Income Distribution in Charlottesville city

How incomes are spread across brackets, compared with the U.S. Pick a range to count who falls in it.

Households by income, 2024

Charlottesville city
United States

Income range calculator

About 7,509 households (37.9% of all households) have an income of $100,000 or more.

Across the U.S.: 40.2% of all households.

In 2024, 25.9% of households in Charlottesville city had an income under $35,000 and 24.8% had $150,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 21.6% and 22.8%.

Compared with the U.S., Charlottesville city has a larger share of households earning under $10,000 (8.2% vs 5.1%) and a smaller share earning $100,000 to $149,999 (13.1% vs 17.4%).

Household income Households Share U.S. share
Under $10,000 1,616 8.2% 5.1%
$10,000 to $14,999 822 4.1% 3.5%
$15,000 to $24,999 1,444 7.3% 6.4%
$25,000 to $34,999 1,254 6.3% 6.7%
$35,000 to $49,999 2,045 10.3% 10.1%
$50,000 to $74,999 2,738 13.8% 15.5%
$75,000 to $99,999 2,387 12.0% 12.6%
$100,000 to $149,999 2,600 13.1% 17.4%
$150,000 to $199,999 1,908 9.6% 9.5%
$200,000 or more 3,001 15.1% 13.2%

Shares are of all 19,814 households, one per occupied home whatever its size. Households with zero or negative income are counted in the lowest bracket. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19001).

Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Charlottesville city

Metric Charlottesville city Virginia Avg US Average
Gini Coefficient 0.562 0.544 0.552
Male Median Income $69,190 $78,585 $69,667
Female Median Income $71,456 $62,626 $56,850
Gender Pay Gap -3.3% 20.3% 18.4%

The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Charlottesville city, it is 0.562, higher than Virginia's 0.544, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.

Women's income is about 3% more than men's income in Charlottesville city, Virginia. Over a 35-year career, a 3% wage gap accumulates to roughly $79,310 in unearned income for male workers in the area.

Income by Sex Over Time

Male
Female

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Charlottesville city, Virginia has narrowed from about 14% to -3% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 18% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $7,554 since 2009.

Year Male Income Female Income Gap %

Employment

Metric Charlottesville city Virginia Avg US Average
Unemployment Rate 3.7% 4.1% 5.2%
Working from Home 21.4% 18.3% 15.0%
Commute time (minutes) 15 23 22

Approximately 920 people are unemployed in Charlottesville city, Virginia.

The average commute time in Charlottesville city is 15 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.

Unemployment Rate Over Time

Charlottesville city
United States

Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Charlottesville city, Virginia has fallen from 5.7% to 3.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 6.4% in 2012 and fell as low as 3.6% in 2017.

Charlottesville city has stayed well below the U.S. unemployment rate in every year from 2011 to 2024 and has never risen above it. It came closest in 2022, at 0.3 points lower. The gap has narrowed from 3.0 points in 2011 to 1.5 points in 2024.

Year Charlottesville city United States

Charlottesville city, VA Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties

Charlottesville city, VA is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 45,435 residents against a local median of 24,617. The measure that sets Charlottesville city, VA apart most is median household income: $74,882, 20% below the local median of $94,005. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.

The counties themselves spread $18,851 on median household income, so Charlottesville city, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Charlottesville city, VA has the 5th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.

Area Population Median household income Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. Unemployment Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here.
Charlottesville city, VA 45,435 $74,882 #5/5 5.0%/yr #3/5 3.7% #3/5 0.562 #5/5
Albemarle County, VA 114,898 $104,612 5.2%/yr 3.4% 0.533
Greene County, VA 21,143 $90,893 4.8%/yr 1.8% 0.518
Fluvanna County, VA 28,092 $97,117 4.8%/yr 4.2% 0.539
Madison County, VA 14,044 $85,762 7.5%/yr 4.3% 0.540

Conclusion

Considering all these factors, Charlottesville city, Virginia has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it somewhat worse than Virginia, and about on par with the country as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about income and wealth in Charlottesville city, Virginia.

How Rich Is Charlottesville city, Virginia?

Charlottesville city has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $74,882, about 20% lower than the Virginia average of $93,527.

Are incomes growing in Charlottesville city, Virginia?

Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Charlottesville city, Virginia rose 97%, from $38,000 to $74,882. Over the same years, income here outpaced Virginia as a whole: +97% against +55%.

What was the median household income in Charlottesville city in 2023?

In 2023, the median household income in Charlottesville city, Virginia was $70,808, up 5% from $67,492 in 2022. The Virginia median that year was $91,420.

What was the median household income in Charlottesville city in 2020?

In 2020, the median household income in Charlottesville city, Virginia was $59,641. By 2024 it had risen 26% to $74,882.

What is the Gini coefficient in Charlottesville city, Virginia?

The Gini coefficient in Charlottesville city is 0.562. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.

How has the income gap between men and women changed in Charlottesville city, Virginia?

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Charlottesville city, Virginia has narrowed from about 14% to -3% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 18% in 2015. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $7,554 since 2009.

Analyze any area in the US

Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.

Explore the map →