U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026–2027 Best Places to Live list, and the results might surprise you. Twenty-three Virginia cities ranked among the 250 on the list. Of those, Burke ranked the highest.
Burke was the No. 1 Best Place to Live in Virginia, and it landed at 108 on the list of 250 U.S. cities. The Burke 22015 zip code also topped our list of the 20 Hottest Zip Codes in Northern Virginia.
U.S. News ranked the cities based on factors such as being a desirable place to live, having a strong job market, and the overall quality of life for residents. The data was compiled from private and government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, Federal Reserve, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The ranking noted that “Burke offers a higher value of living compared to similarly sized cities.” About 41,000 people live in Burke, and the median age is 40.5. The median household income is $184,339, and the median home value is $715,666. The average commute time is about 30 minutes.
NoVA cities dominated the list’s top spots to live in Virginia. Leesburg ranked No. 2, Reston No. 3, and Arlington took the No. 4 spot. Centreville was ranked No. 7.
Feature image courtesy Fairfax County Parks Department
