Side-by-side comparison of Virginia Beach, VA and Richmond, VA — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Virginia Beach has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.73% compared to Richmond's 3.66%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $340,000 in Virginia Beach vs $320,000 in Richmond, while rents come in at $1,580/mo and $1,480/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Richmond is growing faster at 1.1% annually vs Virginia Beach's 0.8%. Richmond leads on home value appreciation at 3.4% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.79% in Virginia Beach vs 0.82% in Richmond. Vacancy rates of 4.6% and 4.9% are both healthy, suggesting strong tenant demand in both markets.
Bottom line: Virginia Beach edges out Richmond on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.73%, Virginia Beach's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Virginia Beach or Richmond.