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

Bull Run (Prince William County)$89,679
Virginia avg$93,170
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Bull Run (Prince William County)$2,002
Virginia avg$1,579
US$1,413

Median home value

Bull Run (Prince William County)$413,500
Virginia avg$383,700
US$332,700

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

Drive alone
67%
Carpool
18%
Work from home
13%
Walk
1.9%
Public transit
0.4%
Other
0.4%

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

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°5"Jan: 2.94" precipitationFeb: 2.61" precipitationMar: 3.50" precipitationApr: 3.47" precipitationMay: 4.72" precipitationJun: 4.30" precipitationJul: 4.15" precipitationAug: 3.53" precipitationSep: 3.94" precipitationOct: 3.65" precipitationNov: 3.13" precipitationDec: 3.30" precipitation25°JJan: high 43°F, low 25°FFFeb: high 46°F, low 27°FMMar: high 55°F, low 34°FAApr: high 67°F, low 43°FMMay: high 75°F, low 53°FJJun: high 83°F, low 62°F88°JJul: high 88°F, low 67°FAAug: high 86°F, low 65°FSSep: high 79°F, low 58°FOOct: high 68°F, low 45°FNNov: high 57°F, low 36°FDDec: high 47°F, low 29°F

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.

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