City of Alexandria · City guide
Alexandria, Virginia — Historic Waterfront City Minutes from DC
Alexandria is an independent city with one of the most recognizable historic cores in the country: Old Town's cobblestone streets, Federal and colonial townhomes, and a Potomac waterfront that runs from the marina up King Street's shops and restaurants. It regularly lands on most-desirable-places lists — and prices accordingly.
But Alexandria is more than Old Town. Del Ray's walkable main-street feel, Rosemont's tree-lined blocks, the redeveloping West End and Eisenhower Valley, and the Carlyle district around the courthouse give the city a genuine range of neighborhoods and price points — all within a quick ride of DC and Reagan National Airport.
The numbers
Alexandria market data
Alexandria snapshot
- Median sale price
- $653,105*
- Typical home value
- $686,785*
- Year over year
- +1.2%*
Source: Zillow Research (median sale price), May 2026.
Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI), June 2026.
* Estimated by Zillow.
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Living here
What living in Alexandria is actually like
Old Town is the postcard — waterfront parks, the Torpedo Factory art center, farmers markets, and a restaurant scene that draws the whole region — while Del Ray offers a smaller-scale, family-friendly main street of its own along Mount Vernon Avenue. The result is a city that feels historic and lived-in rather than preserved under glass.
Getting around is easy by regional standards: Blue and Yellow Line Metro at King Street, Braddock Road, and Eisenhower/Huntington, plus Amtrak and VRE, the DASH bus network, the GW Parkway, and Reagan National minutes away. Much of Old Town and Del Ray is genuinely walkable — a rarity buyers prize.
The housing market
The Alexandria housing market
The housing story mirrors the neighborhoods: historic Old Town townhomes and condos, classic single-family homes in Rosemont and Del Ray, and newer condo and mixed-use development in the West End and along the waterfront. Age, historic-district rules, and parking all shape value in ways a portal estimate never captures.
For sellers, Alexandria rewards marketing that understands its buyer — a historic Old Town rowhouse and a Del Ray bungalow attract very different people — and pricing anchored to the right micro-market rather than a citywide number. The condo tier is where buyers have the most negotiating room, so that segment especially rewards sharp pricing and prep.
Nearby
Nearby areas
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Arlington
Median $767,073*
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Fairfax County
Median $729,004*
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