Where William & Mary Students Live Off Campus: 4 Williamsburg Neighborhoods Compared

William & Mary off-campus neighborhoods come down to four parts of Williamsburg: Midtown on Monticello Avenue for by-the-bed student apartments, the house blocks right next to campus for groups of three, the east side off Middle Street and Parkway Drive for the cheapest one-bedrooms, and Mal Mae Court in the southeast for splitting a whole unit. Rent runs from about $667 per person to $1,400 for your own room in a shared apartment, based on Find My Place listings in October 2026. Midtown is the closest thing Williamsburg has to a student district.

Key Takeaways

• Midtown: rooms at Current Midtown Apartments from $1,099, 1.1 miles northwest of campus.
• Houses next to campus are walkable but capped at three unrelated tenants unless the owner holds a city certificate for four.
• For a one-bedroom alone, look east. Willow Creek lists units from $995.
• District At Williamsburg on Mal Mae Court is the cheapest split: a $2,000 three-bedroom, about $667 each.
• WATA buses are free with a W&M ID, which makes the 1.7-mile southeast commute workable without a car.

How William & Mary Off-Campus Neighborhoods Compare at a Glance

Pick Midtown if you want a by-the-bed student building, a house next to campus if you have a tight group of three, the east side if you want to live alone, and the southeast if price beats everything. Distances below are the campus distances on each FMP property page. You can see every listing on the FMP page for William and Mary off campus housing.

• Midtown / Monticello Avenue: 1.1 miles, per-bed pricing from $1,099, four buildings with 600-plus residents
• Houses next to campus: walkable, three-person occupancy limit, turnover happens through friend groups
• East side (Middle Street, Parkway Drive): 0.7 to 1.3 miles, one-bedrooms from $995
• Southeast (Mal Mae Court): 1.7 miles, whole-unit pricing, about $667 to $725 per person

1. Midtown and Monticello Avenue: The Student-Building Option

Midtown is the best fit for students who want a by-the-bed lease and a building made for student renters. Current Midtown sits inside Midtown Row, the mixed-use project that replaced the old Williamsburg Shopping Center near Monticello Avenue and Richmond Road. FMP's William & Mary page notes that Richmond Road, running northwest from campus, is lined with student complexes and is a common upperclassman pick.

Current Midtown Apartments at 221 Monticello Avenue (1.1 miles) lists a four-bedroom, four-bath plan at $1,099 and three-bedrooms at $1,300 to $1,325. A two-bedroom is $1,400. Rent falls as bedrooms rise, so those are per-person prices even though FMP labels them "Whole Unit."

Best for: rising juniors who would rather sign for one bedroom than go hunting for three roommates.

One thing worth asking about. When the buildings opened in fall 2021, The Flat Hat reported unfinished units, balcony leaks and broken washers. That was five years ago. Still, ask a current resident how fast maintenance shows up before you sign.

2. Houses Next to Campus: Best for Groups of Three

The houses on the streets next to campus are the most walkable off-campus option at W&M, and the hardest to get. They tend to pass from one friend group to the next, so you usually hear about them from someone graduating, not from a listing.

Williamsburg's occupancy rule shapes this whole area. The city's application to increase residential occupancy treats three unrelated people as the normal limit. A house can go to four only if it has at least 2,000 square feet, four parking spaces, and a city certificate with annual inspections.

So ask the owner one question before anything else: is this house certified for four? If the answer is no and you have four people, someone is not on the lease. That's a risk you don't want.

FMP's Williamsburg page also points to Merchants Square, right beside campus, where shops and restaurants mix with apartments that upperclassmen like for walkability.

3. The East Side: Middle Street and Parkway Drive for One-Bedrooms

East of campus is where you find the cheapest one-bedroom apartments near W&M. Two FMP-listed communities sit here, and both price low for a place of your own.

• City Lofts Apartments, 1400 Middle Street, is the closest listing to campus at 0.7 miles. Two-bedroom plans list at $995 and one-bedrooms at $1,515 to $1,565. A two-bedroom cheaper than a one-bedroom suggests the $995 is a per-person price, so confirm it.
• Willow Creek, 216 Parkway Drive (1.3 miles), lists three one-bedroom units at $995, $1,070 and $1,095.

Best for: the student who wants a door that locks behind them and no roommate drama. At $995, Willow Creek's one-bedroom costs about $100 less than a room at Current Midtown.

4. Mal Mae Court in the Southeast: The Cheapest Split

The southeast side is the lowest-cost area per person if you bring your own roommates. District At Williamsburg, 200 Mal Mae Court, is 1.7 miles from campus and prices the whole apartment, since rent climbs with each bedroom.

Two-bedrooms list at $1,399 and $1,450, so $700 to $725 each. The fully renovated three-bedroom is $2,000, about $667 a person. The catch is bathrooms: one in the two-bedrooms, one and a half in the three.

Best for: three friends who already know they can share a bathroom and a half without a fight.

Getting to class is easier than the distance suggests. The Williamsburg Area Transit Authority lists W&M students, faculty and staff as free riders with an ID. Everyone else pays $1.50.

Staying Put: What W&M On-Campus Apartments Cost by Comparison

If none of these areas beats staying on campus for you, that's a real option for juniors and seniors. W&M's 2026-27 room rates put Tribe Square, on Richmond Road, at $6,360 a semester. Evans and Ludwell apartments are $6,055.50, and a standard double is $5,256.50.

Compare a semester at Tribe Square with four and a half months at Current Midtown ($4,945.50 at $1,099) and the off-campus room looks cheaper. The catch: an apartment lease usually covers more than one semester, so ask Current Midtown for its lease terms before you do this math. Upperclassmen who want a campus bed go through the housing lottery, since only first- and second-year students are required to live on campus.

Frequently Asked Questions About William & Mary Off-Campus Neighborhoods

What is the best neighborhood for William & Mary students?

Midtown, for most people who want an apartment. Current Midtown on Monticello Avenue is 1.1 miles from campus, rents by the bedroom from $1,099, and is built for student renters. If you have a group of three, a house near campus is closer but much harder to find.

Can four William & Mary students rent a house together in Williamsburg?

Only in a house the city has certified for four. The default limit is three unrelated people, and four requires at least 2,000 square feet, four parking spaces and annual city inspections.

Do I need a car to live off campus at William & Mary?

Not if you live within about two miles. WATA buses are free for W&M students with an ID, and every FMP-listed complex near campus is 1.7 miles or closer.

Where is the cheapest off-campus housing near William & Mary?

Mal Mae Court in the southeast, if you split. A $2,000 three-bedroom at District At Williamsburg works out to about $667 each. Living alone, Willow Creek's $995 one-bedroom on Parkway Drive is the lowest listed price.