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Buying a home in Brightwood, Virginia

The typical owner-occupied home in Brightwood is worth about $328,800, 14% below the Virginia median of $383,700 and about the same as the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,500 a year in property taxes, about 0.46% of their home's value, lower than the Virginia rate of 0.73%. The median household earns $70,625 a year, so the median home costs 4.7 times the median income (4.1 times for Virginia). 94% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 60% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Brightwood at a glance

Brightwood Virginia U.S.
Median home value $328,800 $383,700 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,500 $2,790 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.46% 0.73% 0.94%
Median household income $70,625 $93,170 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 94% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 60% 67% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,747 $2,127 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 21.0% 20.1% 21.0%
Median rent $958 $1,579 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 18.4% 29.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1975 1984 1980
Vacant homes 6.5% 8.7% 10.1%
Population 1,325 8,705,170 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Brightwood

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Brightwood home of $328,800 with 20% down costs about $2,033 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,580, 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 $87,108 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 35% of the median Brightwood household income of $70,625; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $267,000.

The median rent here is $958 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,075 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$65,760
Loan amount$263,040
Principal and interest$1,769
Property taxes (0.46% a year)$126
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$137
PMI$0
Total per month$2,033

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$11,508
Loan amount$322,845
Principal and interest$2,172
Property taxes (0.46% a year)$126
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$137
FHA mortgage insurance$145
Total per month$2,580

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Questions about home buying in Brightwood

What is the median home value in Brightwood?

About $328,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Brightwood?

Homeowners pay a median $1,500 a year, which is about 0.46% 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 Brightwood?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,033 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $87,108 a year.

More about Brightwood

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