Richmond receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Petersburg
Richmond
Opportunity
25 · Bottom 3%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs60 · Top 32%
Climate
75 · Top 28%
vs75 · Top 28%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 49%
vs82 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
69 · Bottom 33%
vs58 · Bottom 18%
Schools
18 · Bottom 9%
vs21 · Bottom 12%
Access
87 · Bottom 35%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
37 · Bottom 13%
vs52 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Petersburg | Richmond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,537 | 229,359 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,698 | $64,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,418 | $45,790 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,476/sq mi | 3,827/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $189,000 | $353,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,174 | $1,372 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.6% | 43.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.4% | 45.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.7% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 94 | 2,714 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -44.4% | -20.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.5" | 45.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 23.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.40 | 12.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 30.5% | 26.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.2% | 36.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.1% | 90.4% | 2024-25 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Petersburg
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake.
Richmond
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Petersburg
52
Your Score
49
Area Score
Richmond
61
Your Score
58
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Petersburg, VA · Richmond, VA · How this is calculated: methodology