Meadowbrook vs Warrenton

Which is the better fit for you?

Meadowbrook, VA
63
Area Score
Top 35% nationally
Warrenton, VA
64
Area Score
Top 33% nationally

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Warrenton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Meadowbrook to Warrenton

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Everyday prices
11% higher
Regional price level 109.5 against 98.3 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$85 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,740 in Warrenton against $1,655 in Meadowbrook.
The median home
60% more
$478,300 in Warrenton against $298,500 in Meadowbrook.
The weather you would swap
Winters 4°F colder
Normal January lows are 25°F in Warrenton against 29°F in Meadowbrook; July highs are 88°F against 90°F (summers 2°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

32 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Meadowbrook
Warrenton
Opportunity: Warrenton is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs
59 · Top 45%
Growth: Warrenton is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
57 · Top 35%
vs
69 · Top 17%
Climate: Meadowbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
75 · Top 28%
vs
74 · Top 31%
Physical resilience: Meadowbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
77 · Top 27%
vs
71 · Top 34%
Housing affordability: Meadowbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 31%
vs
56 · Bottom 29%
Schools: Meadowbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
47 · Bottom 46%
vs
46 · Bottom 45%
Access: Meadowbrook is the more favorable of the two.
Access
95 · Top 42%
vs
88 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability: Warrenton is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 44%
vs
65 · Top 36%

Measured values

MetricMeadowbrookWarrentonSource period
Population20,74910,1762024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$86,054 ±$5,157$83,331 ±$7,4972024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$35,329$42,612 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,546/sq mi2,323/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$298,500$478,3002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$1,583 ±$128$1,418 ±$1712024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,655 — more favorable$1,740FY2026
Cost of living index98.3 — more favorable109.52023
Homeownership rate75.4%63.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate3.6%2.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.8% — more favorable−2.4%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher25.5%46.1% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate11.9% ±3%10.4% ±5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)2,6735912 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents7.1 — more favorable5.812 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+10.9%+637.5%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high90°F88°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low29°F25°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation45.5"43.2"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport10 mi — more favorable24 miNASR current cycle
Average commute26.9 min — more favorable32.6 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age37.040.22024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher14.012.3 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency82.1% — more favorable79.9%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency80.2%80.2%2018-19 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

3 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Meadowbrook

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Warrenton

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Meadowbrook
—
Meadowbrook: Your Score
63
Area Score
Warrenton
—
Warrenton: Your Score
64
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Meadowbrook, VA · Warrenton, VA · How this is calculated: methodology