Metro Life Score
Winchester, VA-WV
Below-median composite Life Score — grade C+, 41st percentile of the national corpus.
- 47.8
- Life Score / 100
- C+
- Grade (curved)
- #227
- of 387 metros
- 41%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Winchester is below-median composite Life Score — #227 of 387 (47.8/100, grade C+, 41st percentile). Carried by safety at 87/100; held back most by schools at 26/100.
- 41st
- composite percentile
- #227
- of 387 peers
- 36th
- cost dimension percentile
- 54th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · SAFE-LED · signature cost
Winchester: mid-pack cost with a distinct Life Score shape
Winchester sits mid-pack on cost (≈36th percentile, DEAR) with composite #227 of 387 (47.8/100). Profile SAFE-LED; wages mark MID. Strongest safety 87/100; weakest schools 26/100. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Winchester, VA-WV ranks #227 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #249 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 96.5 (rent-RPP 90.0). BLS median salary $64,897, 60,660 jobs (Retail Salespersons, Stockers and Order Fillers, Fast Food and Counter Workers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,573/mo (studio $1,133).
FBI UCR (VA): 223 violent, 1590 property/100K. NCES: 13.9:1 ratio, 0.4% charter. DOL infant childcare $10,407/yr. EPA: 35 Superfund sites (VA).
Where Winchester sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
48 41st percentile higher than 41% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
Dimension detail
How Winchester scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are VA state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Winchester With...
Ranking Context
Winchester outranks 41% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #224 | Tyler, TX | 47.9 | C+ |
| #225 | Walla Walla, WA | 48.0 | C+ |
| #226 | Victoria, TX | 48.0 | C+ |
| #227 | Winchester, VA-WV | 47.8 | C+ |
| #228 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | 47.8 | C+ |
| #229 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | 47.8 | C+ |
| #230 | Grants Pass, OR | 47.6 | C+ |
VA Metro Scores
Read with Winchester
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Winchester (MID · SAFE-LED · DEAR/MID), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Janesville-Beloit, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 47.8 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SAFE-LED · DEAR/MID.
Naples-Marco Island, FL
ABS(composite) peer at 47.8 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SAFE-LED · DEAR/MID.
Tyler, TX
ABS(composite) peer at 47.9 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SAFE-LED · DEAR/MID.
Grants Pass, OR
ABS(composite) peer at 47.6 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade C+ vs this page's MID · SAFE-LED · DEAR/MID.
Cheyenne, WY (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 35/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Missoula, MT (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 36/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Winchester, VA-WV relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · SAFE-LED · DEAR/MID - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.