City · Waynesboro city, Virginia

Waynesboro, Virginia

Waynesboro is a city in Waynesboro city, Virginia, part of the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area. It has 22,841 residents. Waynesboro, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 57 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #6,695 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #237 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on dentists (high), flu vaccinations (high) and pharmacies (high). It ranks worst on drought exposure (high), average weekly wage (low) and distance to an airport (high).

57Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #6,695 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #237 of 375 in VA
Population: 22,841 (2020-2024)
Land area: 15 mi²
Density: 1,525.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 5183680

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety59#6,440/15,637
Economy30#10,904/15,631
Housing72#4,174/14,977
Health26#11,507/15,609
Healthcare76#3,737/15,650
Environment82#2,849/15,453
Education37#9,795/15,649
Infrastructure50#7,880/15,650
Community57#6,798/15,651
Leisure & amenities54#7,252/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Waynesboro, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Waynesboro city value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Dentists · high129 /100k
98/100Virginia 76 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaynesboro city value
Flu vaccinations · high56.0%
96/100Virginia 47.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaynesboro city value
Pharmacies · high2.9 /10k
95/100Virginia 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWaynesboro city value
New homes permitted · high19.1 /1k
95/100Virginia 4.2 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Social associations · high16.8 /10k
95/100Virginia 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaynesboro city value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Virginia 4.3 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWaynesboro city value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high100%
1/100Virginia 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAWaynesboro city value
Average weekly wage · low$937
9/100Virginia $1,540United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWaynesboro city value
Distance to an airport · high95 mi
11/100Virginia 32 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauWaynesboro city value
Life expectancy · low73.3 yrs
14/100Virginia 77.8 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaynesboro city value
Reading scores · low2.80
16/100Virginia 3.16United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaynesboro city value
Premature death · high11,335 /100k
17/100Virginia 7,587 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWaynesboro city value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
4.6 /1k (2021) → 19.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+315%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
72.6% (2015-2019) → 91.4% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
27.3% (2015-2019) → 13.2% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$45,011 (2015-2019) → $59,994 (2020-2024)
+33%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
16.8% (2015-2019) → 11.2% (2020-2024)
−5.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
16.4% (2015-2019) → 12.4% (2020-2024)
−4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Waynesboro, Virginia improved on 5 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved5

Child poverty−14 points27.3% → 13.2%
Broadband+19 points72.6% → 91.4%
Poverty−5.5 points16.8% → 11.2%
Uninsured−4.1 points16.4% → 12.4%
Household income+33%$45,011 → $59,994

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Waynesboro, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.4 min2015-2019	21.4 min2020-2024	−1.0 min	Within the margin of error	60%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.1%2015-2019	25.7%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Broadband subscriptions	72.6%2015-2019	91.4%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	88%
Child poverty rate	27.3%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	−14 points	Improved	88%
Effective property tax rate	0.77%2015-2019	0.66%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
High school diploma or higher	86.1%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	4.1×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	66%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4642015-2019	0.4202020-2024	−0.045	Within the margin of error	82%
Median household income	$45,0112015-2019	$59,9942020-2024	+33%	Improved	62%
Poverty rate	16.8%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−5.5 points	Improved	82%
Rent as share of income	28.6%2015-2019	29.1%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Rent-burdened households	47.4%2015-2019	46.4%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Unemployment rate	4.7%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.4%2015-2019	12.4%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Improved	83%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Waynesboro, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Waynesboro, Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Waynesboro, Virginia itself moved +8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

22,841 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

9,841 households (±313)

Waynesboro, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k15%1,497
$25k–50k25%2,450
$50k–75k20%1,922

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

9,841 households (±313)

Waynesboro, Virginia
Virginia share

Own60%5,898
Rent40%3,943

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

11,010 workers (±576)

Waynesboro, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone75%8,295
Carpool9.7%†1,070
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Waynesboro city, the county holding most of Waynesboro's residents.

Waynesboro city has 620 employer establishments, 268 for every 10,000 residents (1.08× the US rate of 248; 1.11× Virginia's), with 8,886 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,751. The Census Bureau also counts 1,570 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 620; 1,570 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 268; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 8,886
Average annual pay: $43,751; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Waynesboro city by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	62	26.8	1.46×More than typical	1,328	$21,603	13
Ambulatory health care services	35	15.1	0.73×Fewer than typical	285	$50,975	52
Lessors of real estate	31	13.4	1.09×About typical	63	$41,095	144
Religious organizations	29	12.5	2.26×More than typical	154	$20,325	—
Limited-service restaurants	28	12.1	1.51×More than typical	679	$18,592	5
Specialty trade contractors	27	11.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	423	$68,525	97
Full-service restaurants	26	11.2	1.46×More than typical	553	$25,136	8
Services to buildings and dwellings	19	8.2	1.22×About typical	97	$41,021	112
Banks and credit unions	17	7.4	2.28×More than typical	325	$66,742	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	15	6.5	1.29×More than typical	93	$41,602	14
Grocery and convenience stores	15	6.5	2.19×More than typical	476	$28,773	3
Personal care services	15	6.5	1.36×More than typical	54	$26,944	94

Rank places for an industry Open Waynesboro city

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 23,128 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Waynesboro, Virginia: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

1MFY2017
166.2KFY2018
119.6KFY2019
4.3MFY2020
216KFY2021
130.8KFY2022
395.9KFY2023
185.2KFY2024
79.1KFY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Waynesboro, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Waynesboro is mostly in Waynesboro city.

See federal money in Waynesboro city

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Waynesboro, Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Ben ClineR-VA-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Waynesboro city66100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA72

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5183680

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends