The best places to live in Virginia — from someone who sells homes there
Virginia earns its reputation: four real seasons, Shenandoah National Park out the back door, K-12 schools ranked among the nation’s top ten, and universities like UVA, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary. Below — the statewide standouts, then the deep guides to the Northern Virginia markets we work every week.
Four statewide standouts
Arlington
The urban option. Historically low unemployment, crime below national averages, and public transit that over 30% of workers actually use. George Mason and Marymount are in town, with UVA and Virginia Tech satellite campuses close by. The trade-off is cost: median home prices above $600,000 and household incomes to match.
Alexandria
An award-winning small city that regularly ranks among America's most desirable — and most expensive — places to live. Farmers markets, historic streets, a deep restaurant bench, and year-round festivals, all a short ride from Washington's highest-paying jobs.
Charlottesville
Vineyards, boutiques, and the University of Virginia, with Shenandoah National Park's trails and overlooks nearby. More affordable housing and moderate living costs make it a favorite for students and young professionals — and it's historic home turf to multiple U.S. Presidents.
Falls Church
"The Little City" — 2.2 square miles, seven miles from downtown D.C., with a year-round farmers market topping 40 vendors. A genuinely peaceful small-town alternative, priced accordingly by its proximity to Washington.
Northern Virginia, up close
Full local guides — what living there is like, what homes really sell for, and who each area fits. Organized by county; new guides are added as we write them (never templated).
Ashburn
Ashburn grew from farmland into the heart of eastern Loudoun County in about twenty-five years, and it did it without lo…
Read the guide →Sterling
Sterling is where Loudoun County started suburbanizing, and that head start is exactly its advantage today: established …
Read the guide →Cascades
Cascades is a 2,500-acre planned community in the Potomac Falls corner of Sterling, built through the 1990s along the Po…
Read the guide →Loudoun County: Leesburg · Brambleton · Lansdowne · South Riding · Purcellville
Fairfax County: Herndon · Reston · Chantilly · Centreville · Fairfax · McLean · Vienna
Prince William County: Gainesville · Bristow · Manassas
Arlington County: Arlington