Summary answer: On a $100,000 household income with no other debt, standard lending guidelines put your realistic purchase price in Vienna at roughly $284,000 to $333,000, depending on your down payment and loan type. That is far below the Town's median sale price, which Redfin put at $1,356,854 for the three months ending September 2026, and below even the roughly $442,500 condo median in a secondary Bright MLS analysis, so a $100,000 income points you toward the lowest-priced condos unless you add a second income, a larger down payment, or VA financing.
I'm Johnny with JQ Real Estate. Let me show you how lenders get to that number at today's rates, because rates moved against buyers recently and it changes the math.
The math lenders actually use
Most conventional lenders want your total housing payment (principal, interest, property taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance, and condo or HOA dues) to stay near 28% of gross monthly income, with all debts together under roughly 43% to 45%. On $100,000 a year, gross monthly income is $8,333, so the 28% guideline points to a housing payment of about $2,333. Freddie Mac's weekly survey put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% on October 1, 2026, up from 7.03% a week earlier and 6.34% a year ago. Using 7.28%, a $150 monthly insurance estimate, a 0.6% annual mortgage insurance estimate, and Vienna's combined tax rate of $1.31 per $100, the estimates look like this:
| Scenario | Estimated Purchase Price |
|---|---|
| 5% down, conventional (PMI included) | $271,000 |
| 10% down, conventional (PMI included) | $284,000 |
| 20% down, conventional (no PMI) | $333,000 |
| VA loan, 0% down, funding fee financed, no PMI | $254,000 |
Those figures assume no condo dues. Dues count toward the 28% target, so a building charging $400 a month can cut your price range by tens of thousands of dollars. Rates change weekly: at the previous week's 7.03%, the 10% down figure would have been about $289,000. Your lender's quote is the number that counts.
What that buys in Vienna
Redfin reported a median sale price of $1,356,854 for Vienna over the three months ending September 2026, up 2.8% from a year earlier, with 51 homes sold, down 25.3% from 68. The median home spent 47 days on the market, up 15 days, and sold at 98.8% of list. 24.0% of homes sold above list, down 11.3 points, and 23.9% had price drops, up 4.9 points. Median price per square foot was $400, down 6.1%. Redfin's Compete Score for Vienna was 55 out of 100, which it labels somewhat competitive, and it estimates that the average home sells about 1% below list and goes pending in about 36 days, while hot homes sell about 1% above list in about 5 days, with about 3 offers per home. A separate analysis by the Fox Homes Team of Bright MLS closed sales for the Vienna postal city, for the 12 months ending October 9, 2026, showed a median sold price of $1,250,000, up 4.2%, with 768 homes sold, a median of 7 days on market, and an average sale-to-list ratio near 101%. By type, the median was $1,425,000 for detached homes, $832,500 for townhouses and $442,500 for condos, with condos taking a median of 13 days. That analysis is a secondary source with its own geography and method, so it will not match Redfin's figures, and I use it only as a cross-check. At $284,000 to $333,000 you are well under both medians, so the search is about finding a condo building whose dues, reserves, and loan approval fit your budget, and the right building matters as much as the unit.
Your monthly costs beyond principal and interest
Properties inside the Town of Vienna pay Fairfax County's real estate tax of $1.12 per $100 of assessed value (adopted May 5, 2026, down from $1.1225, for the budget year that began July 1, 2026) plus the Town of Vienna's tax of 19 cents per $100, which the Town Council cut from 19.5 cents when it adopted the fiscal 2027 budget on May 19, 2026. That is $1.31 per $100 combined. The Town's tax is separate from the county's, and the Town's page lists due dates of July 28 and December 5 with a 10% penalty after each date. The Town estimated that the average bill would still rise about $80 a year because assessments rose, and the county estimated an average increase of $337. Confirm with the Town at 703-255-6325 and with Fairfax County Tax Administration at 703-222-8234, and note that a Vienna mailing address does not always mean the home is inside the Town. On a $350,000 condo, the combined $1.31 comes to about $4,585 a year, or $382 a month. Both the Fairfax County and the Town of Vienna real estate tax bills are due in two installments, July 28 and December 5. Add condo or HOA dues, which vary by building, and homeowners or condo insurance. Ask for the association budget and reserve study before you make an offer.
Help that can close the gap
Virginia Housing offers a down payment assistance grant of 2% of the price on its conventional loan or 2.5% on its FHA loan, and Fairfax County's Housing and Community Development lists below-market Affordable and Workforce Dwelling Units, down payment help and counseling at 703-246-5087 and homeownership@fairfaxcounty.gov. Income limits, price limits, and education requirements apply, and they change, so confirm the current terms at virginiahousing.com and with the county before you build a plan around them.
What changes your number
- Loan type. A VA loan removes the down payment and mortgage insurance for eligible veterans and service members.
- Existing debt. A $400 monthly car or student loan payment can lower your buying power by tens of thousands of dollars.
- Credit score. A higher score reduces both your rate and your mortgage insurance cost.
- Down payment. Each extra 5% down shrinks the loan, the payment, and often the insurance.
- A second income. If this is a household decision, the math above roughly doubles.
An example
Suppose you earn $100,000, carry no other debt, and have $35,000 saved. A condo priced at $320,000 with 10% down means a $288,000 loan, and at 7.28% the principal and interest payment is about $1,971. Add roughly $349 in taxes, $150 in insurance, about $144 in mortgage insurance, and $350 in condo dues, and you land near $2,964 a month, close to the 28% line of $2,333. A $380,000 unit with the same dues would cost about $3,426 a month, roughly $1,093 over it. The difference is not your income, it is the full monthly cost of the specific building. The prices are illustrations.
Get your actual number
These are guidelines, not a pre-approval. Reach out and I'll connect you with a lender for a real number, then show you which Vienna buildings and programs actually fit your budget.
For more Vienna buyer and seller questions, visit our Vienna real estate hub.