Across the Commonwealth of Virginia, residents are navigating a growing affordability crisis. The pressures on everyday Virginians are real, interconnected, and demand creative, data-driven solutions.
The 2026 Virginia Datathon invites college students and state employees to turn data into action. Teams will explore one or more dimensions of the cost-of-living challenge and propose innovative, evidence-based interventions that reflect the full complexity of life in Virginia: its geography, its diversity, and the resources already working within the Commonwealth.
This is your opportunity to make an impact on the issues that matter most to Virginian families. Use data to tell the story and design the solution.
The 2026 Virginia Datathon will be held from October 8th-October 16th, 2026. More information can be found on the participant information page.
The Challenge
Your Central Question
Core Challenge Prompt
"How can your team innovatively address one or more cost-of-living factors to make life more affordable in Virginia?"
Factor in Virginia's Unique Complexity
- Geography & Rural/Urban Divide
- Infrastructure Access
- Demographics & Population
- Trends
- Socioeconomic Factors
-
Existing Commonwealth Programs
Focus Areas
Cost-of-Living Topics
Housing
Explore affordability gaps, housing supply shortfalls, rental burdens, and homelessness across Virginia's urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Energy
Examine electricity costs, energy insecurity, utility assistance programs, and the potential for renewable solutions to reduce household burdens.
Healthcare
Analyze access to care, insurance coverage gaps, out-of-pocket costs, and health disparities across Virginia's diverse populations.
Childcare
Investigate childcare deserts, cost burdens on working families, subsidy program gaps, and workforce impacts of childcare unavailability.
Education
Assess educational costs, higher education affordability, and access to workforce training and credentialing programs.
Living Expenses
Look at food insecurity, transportation costs, access to goods and services, and the cumulative burden of day-to-day expenses on Virginia families.
Participation
Who Can Participate
The Virginia Datathon is open to college and university students as well as Virginia state employees. Teams of 2–6 participants are encouraged to bring together a mix of disciplines — data science, public policy, economics, sociology, computer science, and beyond. No single background has all the answers, and the strongest solutions will reflect the full complexity of Virginia's communities.
What's Expected