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Buying a home in Albemarle County, Virginia

The typical owner-occupied home in Albemarle County is worth about $495,400, 29% above the Virginia median of $383,700 and 49% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,719 a year in property taxes, about 0.75% of their home's value, close to the Virginia rate of 0.73%. The median household earns $104,392 a year, so the median home costs 4.7 times the median income (4.1 times for Virginia). 66% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 63% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Albemarle County at a glance

Albemarle County Virginia U.S.
Median home value $495,400 $383,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,719 $2,790 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.75% 0.73% 0.94%
Median household income $104,392 $93,170 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 66% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 63% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,309 $2,127 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.5% 20.1% 21.0%
Median rent $1,692 $1,579 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 30.0% 29.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1992 1984 1980
Vacant homes 6.6% 8.7% 10.1%
Population 114,919 8,705,170 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Albemarle County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Albemarle County home of $495,400 with 20% down costs about $3,182 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,007, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $136,376 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 37% of the median Albemarle County household income of $104,392; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $379,000.

The median rent here is $1,692 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,490 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$99,080
Loan amount$396,320
Principal and interest$2,666
Property taxes (0.75% a year)$310
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$206
PMI$0
Total per month$3,182

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$17,339
Loan amount$486,427
Principal and interest$3,272
Property taxes (0.75% a year)$310
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$206
FHA mortgage insurance$219
Total per month$4,007

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Questions about home buying in Albemarle County

What is the median home value in Albemarle County?

About $495,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Albemarle County?

Homeowners pay a median $3,719 a year, which is about 0.75% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Albemarle County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,182 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $136,376 a year.

More about Albemarle County

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data