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Moving to
Bon Air.
Bon Air is an unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, VA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Bon Air
Bon Air is an unincorporated community in Virginia with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bon Air deals with rent well above the national average, a population that has been shrinking, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Shrinking population
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Bon Air compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bon Air
Based on Bon Air's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,598
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,960 a year
- 40% of Bon Air renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$73,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,520
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 27% above US
$1,799/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,799 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $365,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $365,200 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Chesterfield County is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Chesterfield County (county-wide)
Safety
161 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Bon Air doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Chesterfield County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1157/100k · Policed by Chesterfield County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 53% above US
55% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Maggie L Walker National Historic Site (7 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bon Air's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,799/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Bon Air
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