Is your home sweet home in one of Virginia’s best places to live? If it happens to be in one these three NoVA cities, then the answer might just be yes.
U.S. News and World Report ranked 23 Virginia cites based on categories like housing affordability, commuting times, safety, and quality of life. The state’s winner is Burke, followed by Reston and Arlington.
According to the ranking, Burke stands out for its job market, median household income, and higher value of living as compared to similarly sized cities. U.S. census data shows about 40,801 people live in Burke, and the median age is 40.5. The median household income is $180,103, which is considerably higher than the national medium of $79,466.
One downside noted in the report is the commuting time. The average commute time for Burke residents is about 30 minutes, which is higher than the national average. However, the unemployment rate is 4.27 percent, which beats the national average of 4.5 percent.
Reston came in as a close second on the best places to live list. The Reston job market is better than the national average, as is the median household income ($144, 411). There are also more single people — 51.8 percent — in Reston than the national average, and the commute time beats that of Burke at around 23 minutes (though is still more than the national average).
Listed as the No. 3 best place to live in the state, Arlington tied Reston in the ranking’s overall score, but had a slightly higher commute time (24 minutes) and the median monthly rent was $2,107 compared to Reston’s $1,929.
Other Northern Virginia cities listed in the ranking include:
- Leesburg at No. 6
- Centreville at No. 7
- Alexandria at No. 11
- Fredericksburg at No. 20
- Woodbridge at No. 22
Feature image of Burke Lake Park courtesy stock.adobe.com
