Williamsburg, Virginia Eviction Risk: Low

Williamsburg city County carries an average eviction-risk score of 3.9/10, placing it in the Elevated tier and ranking it 6th out of 132 counties across Virginia. That rank tells a sharp story: only 5 counties in the state post a higher risk score, while 126 sit in a more landlord-friendly position. For anyone deploying rental capital here, the county occupies the higher-risk third of Virginia eviction laws's market, and that positioning deserves more than a passing glance.

The county covers a single city, Williamsburg, with a total population of 15,798. Average rent runs $1,407 per month, yet renters here allocate an average of 42.3% of income to housing costs. That rent-burden figure is a meaningful operational signal: households spending that share of income on rent have thin reserves, which correlates directly with payment volatility and the eviction-risk score the market reflects. Nearly 46.8% of residents rent rather than own, giving landlords an ample tenant pool but also a concentrated exposure to those same financial pressures.

The cities inside Williamsburg city County

Because the county contains exactly one city, every block of risk data points to the same place: Williamsburg, scoring 3.9/10 with a population of 15,798. There is no lower-risk sub-market within the county to retreat to, and no higher-risk pocket to avoid. The score is uniform across the geography, which means landlords cannot diversify risk by moving to a different neighborhood or ZIP code within the county's boundaries. Hyper-local variation does matter in most markets, but here the entire county is effectively a single operating environment.

For context against nearby peers, Hopewell city and Danville city both score 6.4/10, modestly higher than Williamsburg's 3.9/10, while Winchester city comes in at 5.8/10. Williamsburg sits in the middle of that peer band, confirming that its Elevated rating is not an outlier but a genuine regional characteristic of smaller independent Virginia cities.

State-level laws that apply here

Under Virginia state law (Va. Code § 55.1-1200 et seq., the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), landlords serve a 5-day notice for nonpayment of rent, a 21-day cure notice for material lease violations, and a 30-day unconditional notice for non-curable breaches or the termination of a month-to-month tenancy. Virginia does not require just cause to end a tenancy, and the state actively preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so Williamsburg cannot impose caps that contradict state law. Landlords must give tenants 24 hours notice before entry under Va. Code § 55.1-1220. A full walkthrough of timing and paperwork is in the Virginia eviction process guide.

Eviction costs in Virginia add up quickly. Court filing fees run $58 to $90, sheriff lockout fees range from $40 to $150, and attorney fees typically fall between $500 and $3,000, depending on complexity. An uncontested case wraps in 21 to 45 days; a contested one can stretch to 45 to 120 days. The full breakdown of those figures is covered in the Virginia eviction costs guide. Source of income is not a protected class under Virginia state law, though landlords should always verify local fair-housing obligations with the Virginia Fair Housing Office.

With a 14.1% average poverty rate and nearly half of residents renting, the financial stress embedded in this market is real; the city grid above breaks down the Williamsburg score in detail so investors can size that exposure precisely before committing capital.