CostBy County

Cost of Living in Galax city, Virginia

$743/mo
Median Monthly Rent
$141,300
Median Home Value

At a Glance

Median Monthly Rent
$743/mo
36% below state average
Median Home Value
$141,300
58% below national
Census GRAPI
30.5%
Median gross rent as % of renter income

Rent burden measured as median gross rent as a percentage of renter household income (Census ACS B25071)

Affordability Rating
Stretched
Median gross rent is 30–50% of renter household income

These figures are county medians, not a personal budget. Use them to frame rent, ownership, and income tradeoffs, then account for household size, commute, financing, insurance, taxes, debt, and local availability before making a decision.

How Galax city Compares

Median monthly rent comparison

Galax city$743/mo
Virginia Average$1,170/mo
National Median$1,413/mo

Detailed Housing Stats

$743/mo
Median Gross Rent
$141,300
Median Home Value
$909/mo
Monthly Owner Cost
30.5%
Census GRAPI

National Ranking

Affordability Rank

Galax city ranks #1,235 of 3,142 counties for affordability (top 39%)

Most AffordableLeast Affordable

Sourced county brief

Galax City Renter Median Income Estimated at $24,940

The median renter-household income in Galax city was recorded at $24,940. The median gross rent in the city was $743 per month, which is below the Virginia unweighted county mean of $1,170. For homeowners, the median home value was $141,300, compared to the state unweighted county mean of $295,808. Median selected monthly owner costs for all owner-occupied units were $909. The official median gross rent as a percentage of household income (GRAPI) was 30.5%, which is 1.9 percentage points above the Virginia unweighted county mean of 28.6%. All data is from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. See ACS table B25071 for the underlying estimate.

Cost of Living Advisory: Galax city

Affordability Verdict

ACS B25071 estimates median gross rent at 30.5% of renter household income in Galax city, which is between the 30% and 50% rent-burden benchmarks. This is a median percentage among renter-occupied units, not the share of households above a threshold.

Rent vs. Own

Median gross rent is $743 per month; median selected monthly owner costs are $909. These ACS medians describe different tenure groups and are not a personalized rent-versus-buy calculation.

Income Needed

Using the common 30% budgeting benchmark, $29,720 in annual gross income would allocate 30% to the county's median gross rent. This is a reproducible illustration, not evidence that a particular household can afford housing.

Regional Context

The Virginia unweighted mean of county median rents is $1,170 per month. Galax city's $743 median is 36.5% below that comparison value.

Data version acs5-2020-2024 · Method cost-advisory-v2

Affordability Calculator

See how your income compares to housing costs in Galax city

$

Rent Burden

23.1%

of gross income

Max Housing (28% Rule)

$902

per month

Owner Cost Burden

28.2%

of gross income

The median home in Galax city may be a stretch

Median home value is $141,300. Estimated monthly cost: $1,128 vs. your max of $902.

Rent Affordability Guide

Your entered rent as a share of entered income23.1%
Recommended max30.0%

Income Needed Calculator

See how much you need to earn to comfortably afford housing

$
Rent Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $38,675Needed: $29,720
Owner Cost Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? No
Your income: $38,675Needed: $38,957
Mortgage Affordability

$0/yr

Needed to stay within recommended threshold

Median income:$0/yr
Can you afford it? Yes
Your income: $38,675Needed: $32,884

Based on the 30% rule for rent and 28% rule for housing costs (mortgage + owner costs). Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 7.2% interest, 30-year fixed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Galax city, Virginia?
Galax city, Virginia has a median monthly rent of $743/mo and a median home value of $141,300. The affordability rating is Stretched, with median gross rent equal to approximately 30.5% of renter household income.
What is the median rent in Galax city?
The median gross rent in Galax city is $743/mo. This is 36% below state average for Virginia.
Is Galax city affordable?
Galax city is rated Stretched using the Census median gross-rent-as-a-percentage-of-income measure of 30.5%. Median gross rent is 30–50% of renter household income.
How does Galax city's rent compare to the state average?
Galax city's median rent of $743/mo is 36% below state average of $1,170/mo for Virginia.
What is the median home value in Galax city?
The median home value in Galax city, Virginia is $141,300. This is 58% below the national median home value of $332,700.

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Published by the CostByCounty Editorial Team. See our methodology and corrections policy.Data build reviewed 2026-07-09; first published 2026-03-10.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.

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