Where are the best places to live in Virginia?
Some might say wherever there’s a college basketball team, a NASCAR track, a sunny beach, a snowy mountain, a pot of blue crab, or a hefty Brunswick Stew.
But they would be wrong.
You need to stop and look at the cold, hard facts to understand where the best places to live in Virginia are. And that’s what we did here. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the most recent data on incomes, home prices, cost of living, and crime from the Census, FBI, and Zillow.
When you stumble upon one of the best places in Virginia, you might feel like you’ve won the Virginia Lottery.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Map | Methodology | Summary
The 10 Best Places To Live In Virginia For 2024
What is the best place to live in Virginia? The best place to live in Virginia is Vienna for 2024.
To see Virginia’s other best of the best cities, grab some boiled peanuts take a look below. If you’re still waiting to see your city, head to the bottom for a complete ranking of the best places in Virginia.
For more reading, check out:
The 10 Best Places To Live In Virginia For 2024
| Stat | Vienna | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,401 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 1 | – |
| Median Home Value | $1,007,468 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $215,556 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.6% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0107 | 0.0166 |
More on Vienna: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Vienna, Virginia’s current status: #1 best place to live in Old Dominion for 2024.
This small town of 16,401 residents is used to being in the headlines. Not only is it located 30 minutes west from the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., but it has remained a solid fixture as Virginia’s best of the best year after year. However, it’s not just it’s quaint village and great schools that have put Vienna on the map, it’s things like the city’s unemployment rate of 3.6% that tells us that the locals work hard and it’s the city’s median income of $215,556/year that tells us that they get paid a lot of money to do so.
And because higher incomes usually generate safer, better places that people want, this demand has increased the median home price here to the highest in the state at $1,007,468.
| Stat | Lexington | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,346 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 3 | – |
| Median Home Value | $313,583 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $93,651 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0079 | 0.0166 |
More on Lexington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Virginia really is for lovers and those who want to hold onto the past and this is most evident in Virginia’s 2nd best place to live, Lexington. In fact, Lexington is a place where time has stood still with its quintessential small town vibes and idyllic Main St. and neighborhoods. So, we thought it very interesting that this city of 7,346 residents has the youngest median age (22). But, when we cranked the numbers, we soon realized that the youngsters are here because of the city’s affordable cost of living and a median income of $93,651/year.
We’re just confused why Lexington didn’t make the best places for singles in the Old Dominion with all of these youngsters running around?
| Stat | Falls Church | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,576 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 2 | – |
| Median Home Value | $693,453 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $164,536 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.0% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0176 | 0.0166 |
More on Falls Church: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Falls Church is right where it should be–the top of our list as the 3rd best place to live in Virginia, and this is why: it’s very, very nice, it has great schools, and it’s super safe.
However, if you want to send your kid(s) to the best school district in the state so that they have their choice of one of the many National Blue Ribbon Schools in this small town of 14,576 residents, you will need to act fast as a lot of people want to live in Falls Church. Folks, it’s a classic case of supply and demand–the median home price here is the #5th most expensive in the state at $693,453, and that’s because everyone wants a piece of the “Falls Church Pie.”
| Stat | Purcellville | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,928 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 4 | – |
| Median Home Value | $788,454 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $150,333 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.0% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0069 | 0.0166 |
More on Purcellville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Purcellville has all of the bells and whistles of a big city without big city issues. In fact, it is the 4th best place to live in Virginia.
Purcellville is also one of three cities to make our list that received a perfect score on our SnackAbility scale with high marks in job opportunities, affordability, safety, and amenities. So, we were not surprised to find Purcellville one of the fastest growing cities in the state. However, we were surprised to find the median home price here upwards of $788,454. But, the median household income in Purcellville is $150,333/year, and that’s a good thing because there are a lot of fun things to do in the small town. Word on the street, you don’t want to miss the Purcellville Wine and Food Festival.
| Stat | Poquoson | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,479 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 5 | – |
| Median Home Value | $419,118 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $114,503 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.4% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0066 | 0.0166 |
More on Poquoson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
If you have a boat and you’ve had your heart set on living in Virginia, you’re going to want to take a long hard look at the state’s 5th best place to live, Poquoson, before you make any life changing decisions.
Yes, Poquoson is a great place for anyone looking to live on the Atlantic Coast, but it’s also a great choice for anyone looking for stress free living. And in Poquoson, that comes in the form of low crime and an affordable cost of living. The residents here make $114,503/year and the homes cost $419,118; so, the way we look at it, the more you make and the less you have to spend on real estate and living expenses like groceries, healthcare, and utilities, the more you’ll have to spend on coastal excursions.
| Stat | Bridgewater | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,575 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 6 | – |
| Median Home Value | $340,657 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $72,051 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0071 | 0.0166 |
More on Bridgewater: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Bridgewater’s tagline is “A Better Life,” and we would have to agree as this city is the 6th best place to live in Virginia. But, you can’t have a motto like and be one of the best if you don’t have the numbers; and, folks, we’re here to tell you that Bridgewater has the numbers.
If you want to buy a home in Bridgewater, you have one of the best median home prices on our list at $340,657. Incidentally, the overall cost of living here is much less, too–like, 1x less than the state and national average. Living expenses like groceries, health, transportation, and utilities will be very manageable if you can make the city’s median household income of $72,051/year.
| Stat | Blacksburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,147 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 9 | – |
| Median Home Value | $389,094 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $42,012 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.4% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0063 | 0.0166 |
More on Blacksburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Blacksburg, Virginia, is known for education. It serves as home for Virginia Tech. But the community exists as more than a college town. It’s also one of the best places to live in the state.
The city offers low crime and solid local schools. Economically speaking, the median income in the area hovers at $42,012. The cost of living is about 5%-10% above the national average. Still, home prices remain affordable, with the median home value sitting at $389,094.
Blacksburg is located in the southwest part of the state, near the West Virginia border, in a relatively rural area. Still, a 45-minute drive will get you to Roanoke, the largest city in the area. In town, you can check out VT football games and other amusements related to the college. Or you can take in the natural sites in the region, such as the nearby Pandapas Pond.
| Stat | Alexandria | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 157,594 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 12 | – |
| Median Home Value | $611,500 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $113,179 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.2% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0205 | 0.0166 |
More on Alexandria: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Apparently “anyone who is anyone” either already lives in Virginia’s 8th best place to live, Alexandria, or is trying to get there. Alexandria is not only one of Old Dominion’s best places, it’s also one of the top places to live in the United States as well as one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
So, what do 157,594 Alexandria locals know that we don’t? Well, the city has a low crime rate and great schools for one, but the commute times to Washington D.C. can’t be beat. However, not to rain on the Alexandria’s parade, you will have to pay quite a bit more for your living expenses–things like groceries and healthcare will cost you well above the state and national average. If you want to buy a home here, be prepared to pay the 7th highest home price of $611,500.
| Stat | Virginia Beach | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 457,900 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 11 | – |
| Median Home Value | $384,137 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $87,544 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0170 | 0.0166 |
More on Virginia Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The second coastal community to make our list is Virginia’s 9th best place to live, Virginia Beach. This city deserves special recognition as it has managed to hang strong in the top ten for the last two years all while housing the largest population in the state. Even more, they deserve double kudos as they have one of the lowest crime rates in the state as well — solidly below the national average.
And, yes, “beach” is in the name, but it’s not always all fun in the sun in Virginia Beach. The people here work hard–the unemployment rate is the 26th best in the state and the median income is $87,544/year. Virginia Beach has great schools and the kids work hard, too. Not only does Virginia Beach house one of the National Blue Ribbon Schools, Cape Henry Collegiate School, but it has one of the highest graduation rates in the state.
| Stat | Leesburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,465 | 8,624,511 |
| Rank Last Year | 7 | – |
| Median Home Value | $757,521 | $371,544 |
| Median Income | $132,298 | $87,249 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.1% | 4.4% |
| Crime Per Capita | 0.0174 | 0.0166 |
More on Leesburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Located on the Virginia/Maryland border along the Potomac River, Leesburg is the 10th best place to live in the state.
It’s almost as if time has stood still in this beautiful historic, hip city in Loudoun County. Leesburg has done a great job keeping its streets safe and its cost of living manageable. In fact, the crime rate here is below the national average. To put this in perspective, there were only 844 committed here at the time of this report. The unemployment rate is also well below the national average at 3.1%, so you should have no problem being part of the “cool kids” here who are working hard to make the median income of $132,298/year.
Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Virginia
Best Places To Live In Virginia Size Requirement
Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in Virginia, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit Richmond, with a population of 227,171, against places with a population of 18?
We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.
So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:
- Cities — Populations over 5,000
- Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
- Small Towns — Populations below 1,000
This filter left 62 cities, 168 towns, and 156 small towns.
We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in Virginia have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’
Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Virginia
Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.
We ranked each place in Virginia across a number of criteria from one to 62, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Virginia.”
The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Unemployment Rate
- Commute Time
- Crime
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty rates
Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking Virginia’s best places to live.
If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Virginia. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Vienna at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Summary: The Best Places In Virginia
If you’re looking at areas in Virginia with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The best places to live in Virginia are Vienna, Lexington, Falls Church, Purcellville, Poquoson, Bridgewater, Blacksburg, Alexandria, Virginia Beach, and Leesburg.
Vienna made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Virginia for 2024.
If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in Virginia according to the data:
- Galax (Pop. 6,687)
- Emporia (Pop. 5,680)
- Petersburg (Pop. 33,261)
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Best Places To Retire In Virginia
- Richest Cities In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
Best Places To Live In Virginia Table
| Rank | City | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income | Rent | Crime Per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna | 16,401 | 3.6% | $1,007,468 | $215,556 | $2,410 | 0.0107 |
| 2 | Lexington | 7,346 | 2.5% | $313,583 | $93,651 | $1,000 | 0.0079 |
| 3 | Falls Church | 14,576 | 6.0% | $693,453 | $164,536 | $2,074 | 0.0176 |
| 4 | Purcellville | 8,928 | 2.0% | $788,454 | $150,333 | $2,128 | 0.0069 |
| 5 | Poquoson | 12,479 | 1.4% | $419,118 | $114,503 | $1,584 | 0.0066 |
| 6 | Bridgewater | 6,575 | 6.6% | $340,657 | $72,051 | $1,106 | 0.0071 |
| 7 | Blacksburg | 45,147 | 3.4% | $389,094 | $42,012 | $1,237 | 0.0063 |
| 8 | Alexandria | 157,594 | 3.2% | $611,500 | $113,179 | $1,983 | 0.0205 |
| 9 | Virginia Beach | 457,900 | 4.3% | $384,137 | $87,544 | $1,568 | 0.0170 |
| 10 | Leesburg | 48,465 | 3.1% | $757,521 | $132,298 | $1,859 | 0.0174 |
| 11 | Salem | 25,372 | 3.5% | $268,647 | $68,402 | $1,053 | 0.0186 |
| 12 | Christiansburg | 22,947 | 2.4% | $278,006 | $71,468 | $1,125 | 0.0241 |
| 13 | Warrenton | 10,111 | 2.1% | $605,326 | $83,737 | $1,520 | 0.0125 |
| 14 | Williamsburg | 15,486 | 6.0% | $422,921 | $66,815 | $1,274 | 0.0178 |
| 15 | Fairfax | 24,242 | 3.7% | $702,237 | $128,708 | $1,972 | 0.0284 |
| 16 | Herndon | 24,456 | 2.7% | $679,629 | $133,403 | $2,029 | 0.0193 |
| 17 | Vinton | 8,045 | 2.0% | $249,931 | $65,481 | $851 | 0.0216 |
| 18 | Strasburg | 7,104 | 3.9% | $311,196 | $56,244 | $956 | 0.0096 |
| 19 | Manassas Park | 17,123 | 3.2% | $410,921 | $91,673 | $2,073 | 0.0104 |
| 20 | Abingdon | 8,346 | 4.0% | $263,435 | $56,164 | $777 | 0.0171 |
| 21 | Smithfield | 8,625 | 4.7% | $360,172 | $101,081 | $1,099 | 0.0134 |
| 22 | Staunton | 25,581 | 5.1% | $275,801 | $59,731 | $984 | 0.0201 |
| 23 | Manassas | 42,620 | 3.3% | $514,283 | $110,559 | $1,784 | 0.0252 |
| 24 | Charlottesville | 46,289 | 5.1% | $460,428 | $67,177 | $1,357 | 0.0385 |
| 25 | Culpeper | 20,105 | 3.9% | $404,059 | $86,940 | $1,372 | 0.0190 |
| 26 | Buena Vista | 6,639 | 1.3% | $166,310 | $48,783 | $953 | 0.0090 |
| 27 | Chesapeake | 249,377 | 5.0% | $374,172 | $92,703 | $1,446 | 0.0247 |
| 28 | Hampton | 137,217 | 6.5% | $251,468 | $64,430 | $1,255 | 0.0321 |
| 29 | Covington | 5,722 | 2.6% | $129,579 | $45,737 | $718 | 0.0124 |
| 30 | Dumfries | 5,697 | 5.0% | $537,443 | $75,629 | $1,612 | 0.0190 |
| 31 | Colonial Heights | 18,158 | 6.1% | $268,411 | $72,216 | $1,123 | 0.0378 |
| 32 | Woodstock | 5,798 | 5.2% | $305,557 | $64,470 | $1,035 | 0.0169 |
| 33 | Winchester | 28,103 | 5.2% | $356,203 | $62,495 | $1,230 | 0.0307 |
| 34 | Suffolk | 94,856 | 6.3% | $346,835 | $87,758 | $1,376 | 0.0234 |
| 35 | Radford | 16,379 | 7.2% | $239,703 | $51,039 | $967 | 0.0146 |
| 36 | Lynchburg | 79,166 | 5.4% | $242,735 | $56,243 | $972 | 0.0283 |
| 37 | Waynesboro | 22,341 | 4.7% | $277,470 | $52,519 | $909 | 0.0215 |
| 38 | Fredericksburg | 28,258 | 5.2% | $429,414 | $83,445 | $1,462 | 0.0448 |
| 39 | Newport News | 185,118 | 5.6% | $263,687 | $63,355 | $1,209 | 0.0289 |
| 40 | Richmond | 227,171 | 6.1% | $328,655 | $59,606 | $1,227 | 0.0379 |
| 41 | Ashland | 7,617 | 3.1% | $394,438 | $58,904 | $1,170 | 0.0278 |
| 42 | Harrisonburg | 51,784 | 6.7% | $316,643 | $56,050 | $1,060 | 0.0204 |
| 43 | Wytheville | 8,228 | 5.4% | $197,791 | $39,459 | $639 | 0.0380 |
| 44 | Bluefield | 5,059 | 2.8% | $122,214 | $53,162 | $0 | 0.0518 |
| 45 | Front Royal | 15,064 | 7.5% | $339,972 | $62,735 | $1,096 | 0.0174 |
| 46 | Big Stone Gap | 5,221 | 11.7% | $123,719 | $52,663 | $777 | 0.0192 |
| 47 | South Boston | 7,942 | 4.3% | $128,262 | $49,654 | $703 | 0.0264 |
| 48 | Farmville | 7,647 | 3.2% | $237,401 | $39,233 | $869 | 0.0320 |
| 49 | Marion | 5,722 | 5.1% | $144,743 | $37,337 | $683 | 0.0260 |
| 50 | Norfolk | 236,973 | 6.7% | $284,301 | $60,998 | $1,188 | 0.0549 |
| 51 | Bristol | 17,036 | 4.1% | $191,989 | $45,250 | $784 | 0.0305 |
| 52 | Portsmouth | 97,384 | 6.6% | $238,266 | $57,154 | $1,225 | 0.0579 |
| 53 | Franklin | 8,194 | 5.3% | $212,203 | $57,537 | $925 | 0.0369 |
| 54 | Roanoke | 99,213 | 6.6% | $247,891 | $51,523 | $917 | 0.0484 |
| 55 | Pulaski | 8,982 | 4.1% | $145,235 | $55,213 | $756 | 0.0379 |
| 56 | Hopewell | 23,046 | 8.8% | $209,023 | $50,661 | $1,033 | 0.0254 |
| 57 | Martinsville | 13,539 | 4.3% | $117,492 | $39,127 | $736 | 0.0252 |
| 58 | Richlands | 5,266 | 8.6% | $100,563 | $35,959 | $824 | 0.0165 |
| 59 | Danville | 42,507 | 5.8% | $137,067 | $41,484 | $770 | 0.0349 |
| 60 | Galax | 6,687 | 4.4% | $162,413 | $44,612 | $660 | 0.0405 |
| 61 | Emporia | 5,680 | 7.0% | $132,687 | $41,442 | $960 | 0.0394 |
| 62 | Petersburg | 33,261 | 11.3% | $227,187 | $46,930 | $1,082 | 0.0340 |