What it's like to live in Bull Run (Prince William County)
Bull Run (Prince William County) is a small city 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. Bull Run (Prince William County) deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
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
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Bull Run (Prince William County) compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bull Run (Prince William County)
Based on Bull Run (Prince William County)'s median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,004
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $80,080 a year
- 45% of Bull Run (Prince William County) renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$82,700
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $41,350
- Homes cost 4.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 42% above US
$2,002/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,002 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $413,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $413,500 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Prince William 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.
Prince William County (county-wide)
Safety
214 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Bull Run (Prince William County) doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Prince William 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 1282/100k · Policed by Prince William County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 23% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.1 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
40% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 40% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Manassas National Battlefield Park (3 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bull Run (Prince William County)'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 commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($2,002/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, people who dread long commutes, and anyone who doesn't drive.
See all the data for Bull Run (Prince William County) →·All Virginia cities →
Other places near Bull Run (Prince William County)
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