Williamsburg city, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Williamsburg 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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A
Health Above averageHealthier than 93% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 86% of counties in Virginia
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A
Education Above averageBetter educated than 92% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Williamsburg city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,698 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1725.6 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.56% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 23.2 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,996 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Williamsburg city grew by 26.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,698 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Williamsburg city is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 48.4% of residents. That is 27.0 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,595 48.4% +27.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,993 12.7% -9.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,906 12.1% -8.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,377 15.1% -1.4 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 54.0% of the people living in Williamsburg city and men 46.0%.
- Women 54.0% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 46.0% Virginia 49.4%
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100% of everyone living in Williamsburg city
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Economy
Williamsburg city has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Williamsburg city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,948 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.40% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Williamsburg city is about 19% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Williamsburg city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $437,755 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,406 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 53.3% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Williamsburg city is about 25.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,406 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Williamsburg city spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 137 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Williamsburg city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.4 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.8 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 137 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,239 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.1% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,987 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,477 | 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 Williamsburg city is 16 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
Williamsburg city has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Williamsburg city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.18 | 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
Williamsburg city has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Williamsburg city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.8% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.5% | 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).
Williamsburg city, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Williamsburg city, VA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 15,698 residents against a local median of 71,005. Where Williamsburg city, VA breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 31% below the local median of $109,376 at $75,948. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 16.4 min against a local median of 21.3 min, 23% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Williamsburg city, VA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $28,112 on median household income, so Williamsburg city, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Williamsburg city, VA has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsburg city, VA | 15,698 | $75,948 #4/4 | $437,755 #1/4 | 16.4 min #1/4 |
| James City County, VA | 81,013 | $109,376 | $408,474 | 21.3 min |
| Gloucester County, VA | 39,526 | $83,842 | $180,357 | 32.2 min |
| York County, VA | 71,005 | $111,954 | $412,950 | 20.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Williamsburg city, Virginia.
How big is Williamsburg city, Virginia by population?
About 15,698 people live in Williamsburg city, Virginia, in 4,996 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 23.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Williamsburg city, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Williamsburg city, Virginia has 1,726 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 20 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Williamsburg city, Virginia?
The median home costs 5.8 times the median household income ($437,755 against $75,948), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,406 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Williamsburg city, Virginia?
Unemployment in Williamsburg city, Virginia is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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