Relocation profile · Federal data

Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA

Cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools and environment for Staunton-Stuarts Draft - every figure straight from federal data.

91.1
Cost index (US=100)
$1,261
2BR rent / mo
$63,276
Median salary
56.4
LiveAbility Score

The verdict

As of June 2026, Staunton-Stuarts Draft ranks #102 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (56.4/100), with its strongest marks in safety and schools.

#102
of 387 US metros · Above median
8,811,195
metro-area population
223
violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
1,869
schools in the state (NCES)

Weakest dimension: low hazard (16/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and five other federal agencies, Staunton-Stuarts Draft has a cost-of-living index of 91.1 (100 = national average), a median 2-bedroom rent of $1,261/mo, and a median salary of $63,276. Its composite LiveAbility Score is 56.4/100, ranking #102 of 387 U.S. metros, with its strongest marks in safety and schools.

How Staunton-Stuarts Draft ranks nationally

Where Staunton-Stuarts Draft's LiveAbility Score falls among all 387 US metros scored.

LiveAbility Score distribution - Staunton-Stuarts Draft marked 0 US metros at 0–10 0 0 US metros at 10–20 10 21 US metros at 20–30 21 20 41 US metros at 30–40 41 30 110 US metros at 40–50 110 40 159 US metros at 50–60 159 50 50 US metros at 60–70 50 60 6 US metros at 70–80 6 70 0 US metros at 80–90 80 0 US metros at 90–100 90 LiveAbility Score →
Top 26% by LiveAbility Score Higher LiveAbility Score than 74% of all 387 US metros.

Staunton-Stuarts Draft has liveability score of 56.4. Distribution: 0 US metros at 0-10; 0 US metros at 10-20; 21 US metros at 20-30; 41 US metros at 30-40; 110 US metros at 40-50; 159 US metros at 50-60; 50 US metros at 60-70; 6 US metros at 70-80; 0 US metros at 80-90; 0 US metros at 90-100.

Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA: BEA RPP 91.1 (US=100), HUD 2BR rent $1,261/mo, BLS median salary $63,276, FBI violent crime 223/100K (state), NCES 1,869 schools (state), composite Life Score 53.5/100 (D). Source methodology + Life Score formula →

Relocation decisions rarely hinge on a single number. A metro with high salaries but a steep cost of living can leave less disposable income than a cheaper market, and a low crime rate matters more to some households than school options or commute times. The composite Life Score blends federal cost, wage, safety, and education data into one comparable figure, but each underlying component is shown separately so you can weight what matters to your own situation. Read every metric against your priorities rather than chasing the highest headline score, and confirm the latest figures on the official source before you commit to a move.

Key Metrics

Cost of Living (RPP)
91.1
100 = national avg
2BR Rent (FMR)
$1,261
per month
Median Salary
$63,276
annual
Violent Crime Rate
223
per 100K (state level)

Housing & Rent

HUD Fair Market Rents for the Staunton-Stuarts Draft metropolitan area. Regional housing cost index: 68.2 (100 = national average).

Studio
$1,088
/month
1 Bedroom
$1,095
/month
2 Bedroom
$1,261
/month
3 Bedroom
$1,734
/month
4 Bedroom
$1,941
/month

Wages & Employment

Staunton-Stuarts Draft has 42,170 total employment with a median salary of $63,276.

Median Salary
$63,276
Mean Salary
$67,814
Total Employment
42,170

Top Occupations by Employment

Occupation Median Salary
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $47,310
Retail Salespersons $33,440
Registered Nurses $92,390
Fast Food and Counter Workers $29,310
Cashiers $29,530

Schools & Education

State-level education data for the Staunton-Stuarts Draft area from NCES.

Schools
1,869
Enrollment
1,253,620
Student:Teacher
13.9:1
Title I %
0%

Childcare Costs

State-average childcare costs for the Staunton-Stuarts Draft area (DOL data).

Infant (Center)
$10,407
per year
Toddler (Center)
$8,169
per year
Preschool (Center)
$7,975
per year

Life Score Breakdown

Staunton-Stuarts Draft's composite Life Score is 53.5/100 (D), computed across 7 dimensions.

Cost
69/100
Strong
Wages
35/100
Below average
Rent
55/100
Above average
Crime
79/100
Strong
Schools
25/100
Weak
Childcare
53/100
Average
Environment
48/100
Average

LiveAbility Score

View full rankings →

Staunton-Stuarts Draft ranks #102 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 56.4/100 - a composite of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →

Strongest dimension: Safety (79/100)

Staunton-Stuarts Draft - dimension scores

Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)

/100

What this shows Staunton-Stuarts Draft's strongest dimensions are safety and schools; its weakest is low hazard at 16/100. The composite weights cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.

Source BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · NOAA · FEMA As of Federal data, latest available vintage

Other Major Metro Areas

Explore relocation data for other major US metropolitan areas.

Compare Staunton-Stuarts Draft Side-by-Side With Other Metros

This page is a relocation deep-dive on Staunton-Stuarts Draft - cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools, and more. When you're narrowing a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison across the same dimensions is faster. Put Staunton-Stuarts Draft on the same scorecard as the metro you're weighing it against and see at a glance which move actually comes out ahead.

Compare Staunton-Stuarts Draft with another metro →

Thinking about Staunton-Stuarts Draft?

How to use this profile before you commit to a move.

  • Pressure-test Staunton-Stuarts Draft against the metro you're weighing it against, same dimensions, side by side. Compare metros
  • Check what your salary is actually worth here after the 91.1 cost-of-living index. Salary calculator
  • Re-rank every US metro by the priorities that matter to you, turn up jobs, turn down climate. City Finder

Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Crime and schools use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
Staunton-Stuarts Draft has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) of 91.1, where 100 represents the national average. Housing costs index at 68.2, which is below the national average. The average 2-bedroom rent is $1,261/month.
What is the median salary in Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
The median salary in Staunton-Stuarts Draft is $63,276 annually (mean: $67,814). Top occupations include Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Retail Salespersons, Registered Nurses.
How safe is Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
The violent crime rate in the Staunton-Stuarts Draft area is 223 per 100,000 population (state-level data). Property crime rate is 1590 per 100K.
What are the schools like in Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
The state of VA has 1,869 schools (state-level data, no metro-level federal count exists) with an average student-teacher ratio of 13.9:1. Charter schools make up 0.4% of all schools.
How much does childcare cost in Staunton-Stuarts Draft?
Infant center-based childcare in the Staunton-Stuarts Draft area averages $10,407 per year. Preschool averages $7,975/year. These are state-level averages.
Is Staunton-Stuarts Draft a good place to relocate?
Staunton-Stuarts Draft has a Life Score of 53.5/100 (D), based on 7 dimensions: cost of living, wages, rent, crime, schools, childcare, and environment. This is a middle-of-the-pack score, where the composite lands for most US metros; look at individual dimensions to see the real trade-offs.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, HUD, BLS, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Verify with FEMA →

Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.