The Town FilesCulpeper, Virginia
Town in Culpeper County · population 20,062 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $390,000
- Household income
- $94,721
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 18 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 12
- Median age
- 32.5
Culpeper is a town of 20,062 people in Culpeper County, Virginia. The median home is worth $390,000, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 88% of Virginia towns.
How Culpeper ranks
Percentile among Virginia towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Virginia towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Culpeper is worth $390,000, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $94,721, which is more affordable than 37% of Virginia towns. Median rent is $1,416 a month. 59.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Culpeper | Typical Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $390,000 | $298,050 |
| Median rent | $1,416 | $1,254 |
| Median household income | $94,721 | $78,595 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.1× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 59.2% | 69.2% |
| Median year built | 1998 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Culpeper
| People | Culpeper | Typical Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.5 | 39.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.1% | 17.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 31.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.8% | 8.8% |
| Veterans | 8.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.6% | — |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 12.8% |
| Average commute | 31.9 min | 26.3 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.0% | 91.8% |
Weather in Culpeper
July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 25.3°F. About 43.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.0 inches of snow (typical Virginia town: 13.4 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 92 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Culpeper since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Virginia town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 17, 2004 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 26, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on May 4, 1996.
Severe weather in Culpeper County since 1996
Culpeper County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3631: Severe Winter Storm |
| March 11, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4644: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| April 2, 2020 | Biological | DR-4512: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3448: Covid-19 |
| September 11, 2018 | Hurricane | EM-3403: Hurricane Florence |
Jobs and pay in Culpeper County
Culpeper County had 16,369 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,499 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Culpeper itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.
Public schools in Culpeper
11 public schools with 8,368 students, about 15.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern View High | 9-12 | 1,542 | 16.2 |
| Culpeper County High | 9-12 | 1,232 | 16.6 |
| Culpeper Middle | 6-8 | 1,059 | 14.7 |
| Floyd T. Binns Middle | 6-8 | 786 | 12.5 |
| Sycamore Park Elementary | PK-5 | 700 | 15.6 |
| Emerald Hill Elementary | PK-5 | 691 | 17.3 |
| Yowell Elementary | PK-5 | 675 | 16.9 |
| Pearl Sample Elementary | PK-5 | 653 | 15.9 |
| A.G. Richardson Elementary | PK-5 | 568 | 15.4 |
| Farmington Elementary | PK-5 | 454 | 14.2 |
| Galbreath-Marshall Building | PK-PK | 8 | 8.0 |
Towns near Culpeper
- Bealeton, VA14.3 mi · 5,882 people · home $388,400
- Lake of the Woods, VA16.2 mi · 8,081 people · home $399,300
- Orange, VA16.6 mi · 4,880 people · home $273,300
- Lake Wilderness, VA18.7 mi · 2,960 people · home $353,100
- Warrenton, VA20.3 mi · 10,057 people · home $478,300
- New Baltimore, VA24.2 mi · 11,251 people · home $698,000
- Luray, VA28.0 mi · 4,831 people · home $253,900
- Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA29.1 mi · 5,610 people · home $395,700
Culpeper questions
Is Culpeper, Virginia a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Culpeper scores better for retirees than 30% of Virginia towns and quieter than 29%. 11.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.5).
How much does a house cost in Culpeper?
The median owner-occupied home in Culpeper is valued at $390,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $94,721, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $1,416 a month.
What is the weather like in Culpeper?
July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 25.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.7 inches of precipitation a year and 18.0 inches of snow.
Does Culpeper get tornadoes?
12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Culpeper since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 17, 2004. The typical Virginia town has had 11.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)