Rent vs buy in Bon Air

Richmond, VA · ZIP 23235 · computed from 47 active listings within about 1.5 miles on August 19, 2026

The market right now

• 1-bedroom: $1,514/mo median rent
• 2-bedroom: $1,800/mo median rent
• 3-bedroom: $2,350/mo median rent
• 4-bedroom: $2,750/mo median rent

5-bedroom rentals are not shown: fewer than 5 active listings, too few to publish a median from.

47 homes actively for sale within about 1.5 miles, spanning 4 2-bed, 20 3-bed, 18 4-bed, 3 5-bed, 2 6-bed. 47 of them sit inside 23235 itself.

Rent medians over 31 active rental listings in 23235.

What buying takes

• 2-bedroom: $259,000 median list price (market context, not the basis)
• 3-bedroom: $450,000 median list price (market context, not the basis)
• 4-bedroom: $574,973 median list price (market context, not the basis)
• 5-bedroom: $825,000 median list price (market context, not the basis)

All-in monthly to own: $1,917 for a 2-bedroom, $2,060 for a 3-bedroom - mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and any HOA carried.

The roommate math nobody shows you

A matched 2-bedroom here runs about $1,917 a month to own on the homes the engine actually matches here, typically around $246,317. Split two ways, that is about $958 per person. Qualifying for the same home solo takes roughly $64,000 a year at the standard 36 percent lender cap: rent splits between people, a mortgage qualification does not.

Bon Air, on the numbers that exist

$1,514 a month is the median one-bedroom rent in Bon Air, drawn from the ZIP's own active rental listings. It is a measured figure rather than an estimate, which is more than can be said for any one-bedroom purchase price here.

47 homes are for sale inside 23235 out of 47 within about 1.5 miles. Their one-bedroom share is too small to average into a price anyone should plan around, so this page shows the homes and withholds the figure.

$958 per person monthly is what a matched two-bedroom costs two people to own here, against roughly $64,000 of income for one buyer carrying it alone.

Keep exploring

• Downtown Richmond · own from about $1,704/mo
• The Fan & VCU · own from about $1,678/mo
• Carytown & Museum District · own from about $1,902/mo
• Northside & Highland Park
• Church Hill & East End
• All Richmond, VA neighborhoods
• Introducing LeaseLens: how the rent-vs-buy math actually works

Common questions

Can roommates buy together in Bon Air?

Splitting a 2-bedroom two ways runs about $958 per person each month, while qualifying for the same home solo takes roughly $64,000 of annual income at the standard 36 percent lender cap.

Run it on your actual lease

These figures describe a typical renter. Upload your lease and LeaseLens computes the same comparison on your real rent, income, and savings, then watches the market for you.

Data updated August 19, 2026.

How these numbers are computed

Every figure comes from the same engine that powers the LeaseLens comparison, run over live inventory in 23235: rent medians from active rental listings, ownership costs from the engine's top-matched-homes construction, and the crossover year from its 30-year net worth projection. The reference buyer is a solo renter with good credit, a $100k income, 20 percent down, and cash covering the close. Your own lease and finances will move every number, which is what the full comparison is for.