By Marcus Webb, Senior Editor, State Tax & Retirement Geography·Richmond city
Richmond is the #4 city in Virginia by population (223,170
residents across 87,224 households; median household income $40,758). Federal gold IRA
rules are identical here to anywhere else in the US — what changes at the state line
is the money around the metal: no sales tax on bullion at
purchase, and ordinary income rates when you take distributions.
The thresholds, sources and storage picture behind those two lines live in the gold IRA guide for Virginia. Below: the city snapshot our
desk compiles for Richmond, the rated companies that serve it, and where its metals
would physically sit.
Richmond snapshot
Richmond, Virginia — city profile
Measure
Value
Population
223,170
Households
87,224
Median household income
$40,758
County
Richmond city
ZIP codes served
50
Land area
59.8 sq mi
Source: U.S. Census Bureau estimates (via our cities dataset) · checked October 24, 2026
Where Richmond IRA metals would sit
Metals in your IRA can't sit in a Richmond safe-deposit box or home safe — an
IRS-approved depository arranged by the custodian holds them, and the vault your
custodian uses decides fees and logistics. To make the geography concrete, we
measure the straight-line distance from Richmond to the two reference vaults we
track nationally:
Straight-line distance from Richmond to reference depositories
Facility
Distance
Delaware Depository (Wilmington, DE)
≈ 180 mi
Texas Bullion Depository (Leander, TX)
≈ 1,260 mi
Method: great-circle distance from city coordinates, rounded to 10 miles — an
indicator of logistics, not a quote. Virginia's full storage picture: state guide.
Gold IRA companies serving Richmond — network ratings
Company
Overall
Fees
Feedback
Min. investment
Noble Gold Investments
4.1
3.5
4.5
Varies — see review
GoldStar Trust
4.0
4.0
4.0
N/A (custodian)
Augusta Precious Metals
4.0
3.0
4.5
$50,000 for cash or IRA purchases
Advantage Gold
3.9
3.5
4.0
$10,000–$25,000
Birch Gold Group
3.9
3.5
3.5
$5,000 recommended minimum
Goldco
3.9
3.5
4.0
$25,000 generally required for gold IRA…
American Hartford Gold
3.8
3.5
4.0
$10,000 for a Gold IRA
Lear Capital
3.3
3.0
3.5
$10,000 for a Gold IRA
Preserve Gold
3.2
3.0
3.5
$10,000–$25,000
Regal Assets
1.3
2.0
1.0
$5,000
Richmond gold IRA questions
Do I pay sales tax on gold IRA purchases in Richmond?
No sales tax on bullion — the rule is set at the state level. Virginia exempts gold, silver and platinum bullion and legal tender coins from state and local sales tax with no minimum purchase amount (Va. Code §58.1-609.1); the prior $1,000 threshold was removed effective June 30, 2022. Source: Va. Code §58.1-609.1, checked October 2026.
Where would metals from a Richmond gold IRA be stored?
Not at home: IRS rules require an approved depository arranged by your custodian. Measured from Richmond, the industry's reference vaults sit roughly 180 mi (Delaware Depository) and 1,260 mi (Texas Bullion Depository). The distance doesn't affect IRS approval — the vault your custodian uses decides fees and logistics.
Does Richmond add its own tax on IRA distributions?
Income tax is set at the state level, not by cities — with rare exceptions like New York City's resident tax, which none of our covered cities share. Virginia taxes IRA distributions as ordinary income at a flat 5.75%; taxpayers 65+ can claim an age deduction against retirement income.
City guides for 3 more Virginia cities are in
preparation.
Important
Educational information only — not investment, tax or legal advice. Verify current state and
local tax treatment with the Virginia revenue department before acting.
