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Moving to
Stuarts Draft.
Stuarts Draft is an unincorporated community in Augusta 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 Stuarts Draft
Stuarts Draft is an unincorporated community in Virginia with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Stuarts Draft deals with cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Stuarts Draft compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Stuarts Draft
Based on Stuarts Draft's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,402
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,040 a year
- 33% of Stuarts Draft renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$58,860
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $29,430
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 15% below US
$1,201/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,201 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $294,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $294,300 · 33% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Augusta County is 2.8%, 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.
Augusta County (county-wide)
Safety
86 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Stuarts Draft doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Augusta County Sheriff's Office 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 754/100k · Policed by Augusta County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 25% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 38% below US
22% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to 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 Shenandoah National Park (45 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Stuarts Draft's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,201/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Stuarts Draft
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Rent $1,020/mo · Income $59,994
Compare with Stuarts Draft →Moving to Staunton →
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Compare with Stuarts Draft →Moving to Harrisonburg →
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Compare with Stuarts Draft →Moving to Charlottesville →
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