Loading listings
William & Mary sits about 8,900 students in Williamsburg, Virginia, the small colonial town where the country's second-oldest university shares its backyard with living history. Campus runs from the brick Wren Building straight into Colonial Williamsburg, so a walk to class might pass period reenactors and 18th-century streets. Behind campus, the wooded trails and Lake Matoaka give you real green space without leaving the grounds. Tribe pride runs deep, and traditions like the Yule Log ceremony each December give the year its rhythm. The historic district and Merchants Square sit right at the campus edge, walkable and packed with events. Richmond and the Virginia Beach area are both an easy drive when you want a change of pace.
William & Mary requires full-time students to live on campus for their first two years after high school. Most students stay in the residence halls through those years before starting the off-campus search as juniors.
After the two-year requirement, students at William & Mary look at apartment complexes along the main roads, older houses near campus, and a mix of duplexes and townhomes. The process runs through private landlords and management companies: an application, a credit or guarantor check, and first month plus a security deposit.
Williamsburg enforces a strict occupancy rule limiting how many unrelated people can live in a single-family home, often just three, which is a real constraint for big groups eyeing a house, so confirm the legal limit before you commit. Leases typically run a full twelve months, commonly starting in August, so check air conditioning, laundry, and summer terms.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with William & Mary before signing a lease.
Williamsburg's off-campus cycle starts in the fall and early winter for the following year. Juniors typically begin touring around October through December, and the closest houses and the most popular complexes near campus get claimed first, often by winter break or shortly after. Because the three-unrelated occupancy rule limits group houses, the legal-for-four-or-more spots are especially competitive, so groups should move early.
The peak runs October through December as juniors claim the closest houses and complexes. Classes start in late August, and since most leases begin in August, move-in lines up with fall. Legal-for-four-or-more houses are the most competitive. Lock in a close-to-campus house with your group by late fall.
Spring is when the better walk-to-campus options are mostly gone, leaving complexes a drive or bus ride out. Summer brings some sublet activity since students leave for internships, which can be a fallback if you are staying in town. If you want a house close to campus with a specific group, lock it in by late fall rather than waiting into spring.
The blocks right around campus and Merchants Square are the most walkable, a mix of older houses and apartments steps from class.
Running northwest from campus, Richmond Road is lined with student complexes and is a common pick for upperclassmen.
To the south, Jamestown Road offers quieter residential streets and houses near the lake and trails.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A bedroom in a shared apartment or house near campus usually runs $600-$1,200/month per person. Older houses split among roommates and complexes a bit further out land at the lower end, while newer units close to campus and Merchants Square run higher. Budget another $40-$100/month for utilities, depending on summer air conditioning.